TFU3: Severance
by MarshMella
Summary: Vader has been captured by the Rebels, but he has not been forsaken. Tracking him through hyperspace is the infamous Boba Fett and his unwelcome passenger - a dark clone of Starkiller. Set after events in TFU2. Juno x Galen pairing. (AU)
1. Haunted

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Well, I'm back at long last, with my biggest project to date! I'm estimating that this story will be roughly 20 chapters long, give or take and I'll be trying to do weekly updates for you if things go according to plan. This story has been an absolute joy for me to plan, research and write and I honestly can't remember the last time I felt so inspired. I just hope you enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it.**

**This story, since it takes place after the second game, will of course contain spoilers.**

**M-Rating is for explicit violence.**

**And lastly, a HUGE, HUGE thanks to Liisiko for agreeing to be my beta and chatting with me about all my ideas for the story so far.**

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><p><strong>The Force Unleashed 3 - Severance<strong>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 1 - Haunted<strong>

**Location: The _Rogue Shadow_**

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><p>A great, churning whirlpool was all that was left of the cloning facility on Kamino; the water tearing the last of the broken towers down into the depths of that angry ocean. Eventually, even the most stubborn hunks of debris were sucked into the center of the swirling mass, pulled down and out of sight.<p>

Above the violent sea, storm clouds brewed, chasing away the stray streams of sunlight and throwing the ocean below into impenetrable shadow. The break in the rain had been both short and symbolic.

A beginning and an end.

Above the small water planet, a number of Rebel-owned freighters began their steady ascent. All of them had their own routes, their own purposes. But, whether great or small, all were working towards one greater cause: The successful transportation of the infamous Dark Lord.

Almost simultaneously, the ships accelerated into hyperspace. And, in their absence, the sky seemed strangely empty and still. Even the thrashing sea was left in eerie quiet; the whirlpool turning with steadily ebbing greed.

The first of the heavy rain hissed against the crests of the waves and the shapes of three huge birds blemished the sky; winging with growing urgency to keep ahead of the storm.

It would be a wasted attempt.

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><p>The domed shape of the ship, <em>Slave I<em>, expertly tailed the sleek stealth ship through hyperspace.

Its pilot frowned behind the visor of his concealing helm, replaying over in his mind the orders he had been given by the Dark Lord earlier that very same day. Now, here he was, on yet another – seemingly impossible – task for the Empire: track Vader across the expanse of space and ensure his safe escape.

The frown curled into a cunning smile. He almost wished he could be there to see the look on the Rebels' faces when they realized they had never been in a position of power. Rather, led down that path of belief to their own destruction.

And he, Boba Fett, would profit greatly from their delusions and their misplaced hope.

He took the next moment to remove his helm, setting it into the empty co-pilot chair beside him, joining the discarded gauntlets. His face was beaded heavily with perspiration; the thick, dark hair plastered down across his scalp. He ran his fingers through the flattened locks and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of a hand.

His relief was short-lived.

The hair on the back of his neck prickled with warning and motion behind him became reflected in the transparisteel viewport. He turned to see that the 'thing' had moved to join him and, with a growl, he donned his helm once more.

The thing looked like a normal man in every respect. Except that he was not. He was a Force-using clone, perhaps the only successful clone in Vader's now destroyed project. As far as Boba Fett was aware, this clone was simply along for the ride; using him as a means to escape unscathed from Kamino. That was the story, anyway. Boba suspected there was more to it than that. Perhaps to ensure that his contract with Vader was carried out successfully. Either way, the clone had said exactly nothing since they had 'teamed up' and he remained silent even now. His narrowed eyes were a sickly yellow, fringed with crimson and shadowed beneath heavy brows. He was dressed in black; a stiffened tunic extended at the shoulder to give the impression of an even broader chest. Around his waist looped a number of belts and from one hung the cylinders of his duel lightsabers. His arms – bound with bandages from wrist to elbow – were crossed in front of him.

To Boba he seemed more monster than human. Yes, they were both clones, both created by the Kaminoans, but there were differences._ Big_ differences. Boba had lived a childhood, had grown at a normal rate, learned at a normal rate and had had a father who loved him. This clone, this _thing_ was an unfeeling creature born into adulthood with nothing but hate implanted in its head.

With a frown, the bounty hunter lifted his gauntlets from the co-pilot chair, a chair he had once sat in as a young boy, and ordered the Sith clone to sit.

The tiny cockpit, tilted at a slightly odd angle (typical of the _Firespray-_class) did not offer much room for walking around, but the clone managed to maneuver himself into the chair with little difficulty.

Glowering, Boba Fett turned his attention back to the flickering dials at his fingertips. If the clone was here to make sure that he got the job done, then he needn't be concerned. There were too many credits riding on this to fail.

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><p>Despite the fact he had barely said a word to her since making the jump into hyperspace, Juno found Galen's presence a great comfort. The lengthening silence between them was companionable rather than awkward and it was almost as if they had never been apart. It was almost too good to be true; like a dream she was preparing to wake up from.<p>

Her eyes flicked idly over the console before being drawn back to him.

He was staring sightlessly out through the transparisteel viewport; darkened to shade the intense light of hyperspace.

Elongated stars streamed across the surface of his eyes and she leaned a little closer to see them better.

What was he thinking? Was it too soon to ask?

"Galen?"

He startled, eyes snapping across to her.

"Is it…still okay for me to call you that?"

He gave a small shrug. "It's not like I have a better alternative."

It wasn't really an answer, but it definitely wasn't an outright 'no'. She supposed an identity crisis – given the unusual situation – was only to be expected. She couldn't imagine what it must feel like to come face to face with not just one, but hundreds, of copies of yourself.

Even so, he was right. Galen certainly sounded better than his old codename: Starkiller.

She must have looked concerned, because he followed up with an apology. "We're alive. Right now, that's all that matters." He managed to give her a weak smile and she returned it.

"It's going to take some getting used to." She replied. "You being…here, I mean."

"How much…how much do you know?"

"Enough." She replied firmly, reaching out to touch his hand. "It doesn't matter to me. All that matters is that you're here. I could never wish for anything more."

"You saw them?"

She knew what he meant and her stomach twisted. "I did." Her memory rekindled the image of the clones floating in their vats - waiting for birth.

"I…I killed them."

"Listen, Galen. Listen to me. You did what you had to. You were forced into fighting them. If anyone is to blame, it's Vader. Not you."

"Will everyone see it that way?"

She fell silent.

"Kota wants me involved with the Rebellion, but what about the Senators? I've deceived them once before, remember? What if they think that my return was planned? A way to lure them into another trap?"

"They wouldn't!"

"Why not? I would."

She opened her mouth to argue the point, but could not find the words to do so. "Kota has made the suggestion that you keep a low profile for the time being. Until he comes up with a way to explain the situation, I suppose. Or to ensure that they won't…"

"Overreact?" Galen filled in.

She turned her gaze back on him. "Are you okay with that?"

He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I'm fine with it, but when has anything I have ever done been 'low profile'?" He wasn't being conceited. It was simply a statement of fact. After all, with enemies like his and with a past as complicated as his, it was hardly surprising that he tended to attract a lot of trouble. Not to mention the strength of the Force at his beck and call. "Besides, I've already been seen. It won't be long before word gets out."

"Kota's men will hold their tongues. He's assured me of that. Some of the others might not. Hopefully rumors won't spread rapidly enough to reach the Rebel Leaders. Or not for a while, at least." She paused and gave him a worried look. "Galen…if you don't want to be involved in this, I'd understand."

"I didn't risk everything to save you only to walk away now, Juno. So long as you are involved in this, I will be, too. I'm not leaving you again." He probably didn't mean for that to sound romantic, but it most certainly was. Her heart fluttered.

"I was sceptical at first, too." She admitted. "When you were gone, I joined the Rebels because…I didn't know where else to go and I didn't want your sacrifice to…be forgotten. It's been hard and infuriating at times, but I don't regret it. Sometimes I felt like all we did was talk. Talk and no action. A thousand times I must have wished that you were there to give them the push they needed to get going." She smiled, reaching up to tie back her hair with some difficulty, due to her wounded shoulder. Strands - too short to be held back - fell back across her forehead and into her eyes. "Kota…he was so impatient with them and their 'softly, softly' approach and I can understand why. I helped him on missions without..." She lowered her voice, though needlessly. "Without the knowledge of the Senators. When he realized you were alive he must have…" She laughed. "Well, let's just say that you two are more alike than you think."

Galen snorted; amused.

The silence returned and Juno wallowed in it for a time. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him. How incredibly happy she was to have him back at her side. But, as silly as it sounded, the words muddled into a confused mess in her head.

She felt his fingers tighten around hers – as if sensing her distress – and she threw him a shaky smile.

"I'm not going anywhere." Whether he was simply following up from their last conversation or was making a guess at what she had been thinking, it was the perfect thing to say.

"Once I've met with Princess Leia, I'm sure we'll have time to catch up properly." She hoped so, at least. After all, she was still suffering from an injury and Galen had done more than his fair share for the Rebels. They deserved a little time off to recuperate. A little time alone with no one interrupting.

"I wouldn't hold your breath." Galen replied. "I'm sure they'll come up with another crisis for us to fix for them. Or you, since I'll be keeping out of sight for now."

He sounded almost bitter and Juno could not help but wonder whether he had any care for the Rebellion at all. She had heard him tell Kota that he would stay to help, but perhaps it was because he knew she would want him to. Did he feel trapped? Did he feel used?

That was just another thing to add to the steadily growing list of things they needed to talk about.

PROXY took that moment to step into the cockpit, greeting his fellows in his normal, cheerful mannerism. The glare of his photoreceptors seemed unusually bright, perhaps because the rest of him seemed so dull and battered despite recent repair work. The servomotors in his legs creaked unhappily as he moved over to his usual post. The poor holodroid had certainly been through a lot in his lifetime. In fact, it was amazing he was here at all.

"Looks like you're doing well with those repairs, PROXY." Juno observed; strangely glad for the droid's appearance.

PROXY tapped the armor plating across his chest. "I am, Captain. The parts I found on Kamino have been very useful. I'm certain I will be back in full working order in no time at all."

Galen's features tightened. "At least some good came of that place." He stood. "How long is it until we exit hyperspace?"

Juno's eyes flickered with unspoken concern. "Approximately three hours. Why?"

"I'm going to get some rest."

"That's probably a good idea."

"And stop worrying. I'm fine."

"I'm not worrying." Juno replied, perhaps a little too quickly.

"Yes you are." He threw her a tired smile and stepped out through the door.

A moment later and Juno sighed deeply. "I am worried about him, PROXY."

"I know, Captain." The holodroid replied, but without much sympathy. "Master does not appear to be the same."

"None of us are the same." Juno pointed out.

"That is true. Although I think Master is secretly happy that I'm not trying to kill him anymore."

"You're probably right." She replied, rolling her eyes.

The droid set a cold, metallic hand on her shoulder; mimicking a gesture of comfort he had seen a number of times since serving with the Alliance.

"The sleep will do him good." She murmured. However, she wasn't certain that he would find much rest knowing this his old master waited in the room only a few steps away.

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><p><em>He paused and waited for his eyes to adjust to the thick darkness that consumed much of the chamber. The distant echo of his footsteps had given him a rough idea of the vast expanse of the room he had entered and little by little, it was revealed to him. Up above, through gaps in the stone, fingers of indigo light reached down, imprinting the ground with a dozen irregular shapes. <em>

_He took another step and small lights set into the stone floor flickered into being, revealing a huge stone staircase that loomed up into shadow. The stairs were covered with dust; cracked and crumbled and scattered with the bones of tiny creatures. They had probably once been grand and awe-inspiring._

_Now, they were just eerie._

_Drawing in a breath, the one who had once been known as Starkiller, began to ascend. _

_His soft-soled boots made barely a sound on the rock; avoiding stepping on bones and loose slabs to keep his presence unknown. He had not had to practice the stealth skills from his 'childhood' for a while, but found them surprisingly easy to slip back into. Even he could not hear the sound of his feet, nor the breath in his lungs._

_Which was why he almost cried out loud when a pale face loomed out of the darkness at him. The old, withered visage with bulging, whitened eyes looked ghoulish; the mouth twisting as if in pain._

"_Go back, boy."_

_It was Kota._

"_Go back."_

_Galen felt irritation swell in him and, without a word, stepped around the old man and continued. He was certain that the old Jedi would follow, but when he turned to check, there was no one there._

_His imagination, then?_

_Shaking his head, he turned back and almost walked straight into the Jedi. With a strangled yelp, he staggered back; hand touching the saber at his hip._

"_Go back before it's too late!"_

"_Why? What's up there?" Galen hissed._

"_Something that can be used against you. Something that could bring about your destruction."_

"_What? Vader? The Emperor?" He was unconvinced._

"_Go back." Kota stressed._

_Again Galen stepped around him and this time the Jedi did not reappear. Satisfied, he continued onwards, ascending the steps with careful precision._

_And, after a few moments - without warning - the darkness leeched away, revealing the rest of the huge stone chamber to him. He turned to look down the stone steps and saw how far he had come. Looking back, he could now see the outline of two fierce statues that guarded the staircase's end. The curve of their arched spines and the furrows across their feline maws was distinctly feral. Now, all that lay between Galen and the top of the climb were eight more steps. Gritting his teeth, he bounded up the rest of the way, coming to a sudden but grinding halt._

_No more than ten paces away stood a woman. Her head was bowed, a sweep of blonde hair concealing her face from view. She sagged forwards weakly, wrists bound with heavy manacles that seemed to be pulling her off balance. He knew instantly who it was._

_Juno._

_He called her name and she looked up, strangely dazed. Her eyes wavered for just a moment and then focused in on him. Oddly, despite her situation, she smiled and made to take a step towards him. Automatically, he stretched out an arm to her. She was painfully beautiful; her face porcelain under the cool touch of light. Warmth suffused his chest, filling him with a light that only she could instil in him._

_That was when he was hit from behind. _

_He fell flat on his face, stunned by the blast of pain spearing through the back of his head. His attacker, however, seemed unwilling to stick around and tried to dash around him; perhaps to reach Juno. With quick reflexes he grabbed his adversary by the ankle and dragged him to the ground. The attacker twisted, entangling himself in the heavy cloak he wore and Galen took advantage, trapping him securely in place._

"_Attacking me will be the last mistake you'll ever make." He found his feet, grabbed his attacker by the shoulder and dragged him up off of the floor. The man's head rocked back and the hood came away, revealing the face of the one who had seen fit to strike._

_Galen's heart clenched in fear and confusion._

_The face staring back at him was his. A clone? But hadn't they all been killed?_

"_H-how?"_

_The clone smiled silently back._

"_You should all be dead!"_

"_So should you." Came the reply. "After all…you are no different from me. From…us. Why should you have Juno's love? Why not me? We're one and the same. It will make no difference to her which one of us is at her side."_

"_No!" Without thinking, a saber flared in Galen's hand. _

_The clone erupted into laughter that turned into a gurgle of pain as the blade drove deep into his chest. But, even during his dying breaths, the clone smiled on._

_Behind Galen came the hissing sounds of many lightsabers flaring into life. He turned on his heel, lifting his weapon instinctively to defend himself._

_Hurtling up the stairs after him came others. Many others. Twenty? Thirty? More still piled in through the entranceway, streaming up towards him. His free hand sought his second lightsaber; the band of blue quick to join its twin._

_He fought with all the strength he had; sabers spinning and slashing to keep his 'brothers' at bay. The clash and buzz of the weapons was ear-shattering in its intensity and the heat of the weapons rippled across his arms as he met each clone head on. A couple of times a well-placed blast of Force power sent a dozen or more sprawling down the stairs._

_He was aware, distantly, of a searing pain across the back of his leg and along his ribs. The breath in his lungs burned, sweat running down into his eyes. He blinked fiercely, staggering sideways and was almost sent plunging to his death over the edge of the stone platform. Regaining his footing just in time, he dodged an attack from another clone and sent him hurtling over instead._

_During that time, another of his clones had already reached Juno and was insistently tugging at the manacles at her wrists, pausing to use the Force to aid in the task._

_With a flare of anger, Galen charged towards him, drawing forwards both sabers in an attempt to cut his adversary into pieces._

_He would sooner die than see another clone take his place._

_The clone abandoned his 'rescue attempt' to meet Galen's blades and they engaged in a fierce duel, the flurry of their sabers sending wild shadows whipping across the walls. Galen felt the flow of the Force move through him, crackling into feral lightning that rippled across the stone floor and clawed its way up the other clone's legs. His enemy's back arched in pain, sabers lowered in that moment of weakness._

_Galen pounced on the opening and severed the clone from life, spraying blood across the floor to mingle with the dust._

_He turned, blinking through the grime, to see only a sparse number remaining. Many had fought among themselves, writhing in agony where they had fallen. The sight of it was truly horrific, but what could he do? He couldn't stop now and risk them taking Juno. He stepped towards them menacingly; the pain in his leg increasing and almost giving way beneath him. If they were the clones of anyone else, Galen expected that they would have seen the silent threat in his eyes and chosen that moment to flee. But they were not just any clones. They were Starkiller's. They settled into defensive postures; expressions grim and resolute. _

"_You cannot win this." Galen warned, though the attempt was futile._

_The last confrontation was inevitable. They moved towards him as one, intending to pool together their strength to defeat their strongest. Once Galen was dealt with, no doubt, they would turn upon one another until only one was left standing._

_Blocking out the pain, Galen lifted his blades to parry their attacks; freeing one hand to shoot a bolt of lightning to slow their progress. He killed the first clone almost by accident, severing the head from his body. The unexpectedness of it filled him with horrified disgust, but there was no time to dwell on it. There were still others and one of them had seen fit to unleash a blast of Sith lightning. He felt the heat of it singe the hair on the back of his neck as he rolled to avoid it. A second later and he found his feet, spun his sabers to push back any attacks and felt the slash-burn of a saber wound across his back. With a cry of pain, he attempted to turn, trying to defend himself from a second – and possibly fatal – attack. However, the motion was too quick and he lost his footing, falling heavily to the ground._

_Two of the other clones chose that moment to turn on one another and Galen watched them in a dazed stupor as they dueled. The elegant but deadly poise of their motion on the worn stone beneath their feet was strangely hypnotic._

_He sensed the other clone lunge for him and twisted at the last moment to avoid an untimely death. The blade drove into his shoulder instead, and the pain almost had him slipping into unconsciousness. Galen battled against it, slashing out wildly with the weapon in his free hand. The frantic attempts at staying alive were met with success. He managed a lucky hit across the front of his adversary's knees and, with a cry of victory, cut the legs out from under him._

_Gathering his feet he turned to find one last clone remaining. _

_Bodies littered the ground around them. Most dead, others fading fast. The stone beneath their feet was slick with blood and Galen almost slipped as he moved forwards to meet with the final clone._

_Their blades met with a tremendous crackle of energy but it only took a few attacks for Galen to realize that his opponent had been injured in a previous brawl. Biting back his own pain, he forced his way through it, desperate not to slow down or leave an opening that might be manipulated. Shifting his weight to the right, he span, rotating the blades with devastating accuracy. His opponent's lunges were weakened and growing weaker by the moment. Looking down he saw a trickle of blood pooling at his adversary's feet. A few moments more and the final clone slumped to the ground, eyes glazed with the look of the dead._

_Panting, Galen tried to straighten. The pain was unbelievable but he had done it. He had fought and won against all odds. He was deserving of life. He was deserving of love._

_A hand came down on his shoulder and the saber in his hand whined through the air as he turned. It made connection with surprising ease, tearing through cloth and flesh and drawing blood that splashed hotly against his hand._

_The eyes that met his were not dark and angry. They were blue and hazed with shock and pain. His heart wrenched with revulsion and the saber in his hand extinguished, falling from his trembling fingers at the realization of what he had just done._

_The blue eyes rolled up in their sockets and she collapsed into his arms, her blood soaking into his clothes. Her body's shaking subsided, her half-uttered croak fading into nothing._

_She was dead. Juno was dead. And by his hand._

_A howl of agony tore from him as he held her close, rocking her even as the warmth began to fade from her skin._

_What had he done?_

_What had he DONE?_

_Hot, searing anger flared within him and in the darkness he heard an echo of distant, unmistakeable laughter._

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><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	2. Secrets

**Disclaimer: I do not - and never will - own Star Wars.**

**Note: Thanks to those of you who have subscribed/added this to your favourites/reviewed. You're all wonderful! Also glad to report that I managed to get this update to you on schedule!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 2 - Secrets<strong>

**Location: Dantooine**

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><p>His muffled cries had drawn her to his bedside only an hour after his retreating to find some well deserved rest. She found him lying on his back; his body tense and damp with perspiration.<p>

Clearly his sleep provided no haven for a mind so haunted by recent events.

Her touch on his shoulder to stir him was gentle, but he reacted with such violence that she took a few steps backwards to avoid being hit. And, when it seemed he would not settle, she wondered if it was a good idea to wake him up after all.

Yet…it seemed cruel to leave him like that.

Torn, she hovered there indecisively for a moment, eventually moving forwards to try again.

But – at that exact moment – his eyes flared open; his body contorting as if surfacing from water. His eyes – seemingly dazed at first – snapped across to focus on her; his breathing still sharp and ragged in his lungs.

Perhaps – if he'd had a moment to collect himself without her there – he would have crushed down the emotion left churning inside of him. As it was, the opportunity for that wasn't granted. She was there, watching over him when only a moment ago she had been dying in his arms…

He tried to sit up, tried to speak, but the words caught up in his distress and went unheard.

And, to his shame, he buried his face in his hands and wept.

He was so tired. So very tired. The exhaustion felt so heavy that it seemed impossible he would ever feel well rested again. That feeling alone would have been bad enough, but joined with his fear and uncertainty, it was completely unmanageable.

Juno's good arm was around him now, holding him close, his face buried in her shoulder; unwilling to let her see the tears on his face. She murmured softly to him, though he could not distinguish any words past the sound of his own, uneven breathing.

He cried and it hurt. His sides burned, his lungs constricting around each rasping breath that was muffled against Juno's shirt. And, even when the sobs subsided, he was unwilling to move; to meet her eyes. So he stayed there, quiet, still and ashamed, until he fell into another exhausted sleep.

Juno stayed where she was, ignoring the complaint of her twisted spine as she held him to her, unwilling to move in case she woke him. She closed her eyes and a hot tear slid down the soft curve of her cheek.

She had never seen him cry before and she knew - even then - that she never would again.

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><p>Eventually she was forced to part from him, drawing the thin sheet across his sleeping form and retreating quietly from the room.<p>

PROXY had taken over the monitoring of the systems in her absence and he turned expectantly as the door slid open and she stepped inside.

"He's sleeping." She informed him, wondering how long it would be before she'd get to rest. The pain in her shoulder was beginning to throb again and she stretched the knots out of her spine before taking up her seat once more. "I think he'll be feeling better when he wakes."

"We will be exiting hyperspace in approximately 1.24 hours." PROXY updated.

"Thanks, PROXY. I just hope everything goes smoothly once we arrive. Galen is in no condition to go running around playing the hero."

"Lord Vader probably isn't in any condition to play villain, either."

She supposed that was true enough. Even still she couldn't help but feel on edge. This was too good to be true. In her experience, something had to go wrong. The question was; when?

She ran a diagnostic of the ship for something to take her mind off of those troubling thoughts and found comfort in the stream of statistics presented to her.

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><p>As it was, the <em>Rogue Shadow<em> emerged out of hyperspace a few seconds before the rest of the ships. Its nose dipped, granting them a breath-taking view of the planet below them.

"Dantooine." Juno introduced needlessly.

"That's correct." PROXY responded. "A remote planet within the Raioballo Sector. A good location for a secret base, if I do say so myself."

"I take it the Alliance hasn't been here for long?"

"I do not know." PROXY replied.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. Let's just hope they're prepared enough to receive their newest 'guest'." She edged the ship lower and circled lazily, waiting for the two other ships that had followed them to this location to make their move. She was under strict orders to remain airborne until summoned and that meant waiting until the other two ships had docked.

But how did one prepare for the captured Dark Lord, exactly?

"Would you like me to wake my Master?" The holodroid asked.

"No. Give him a while longer. He won't be needed for a bit." Biting at her bottom lip, she continued. "We could be up here for a while."

"I doubt they will have us wait too long."

"Long enough." Juno brought the conversation to an end with a sharp look. The look was followed by a brief silence until she broke it again, being careful to change the subject. "What do you know about Dantooine?"

"That depends on what you want to know." The droid answered. "Currently, Dantooine is – for the most part – a planet of farmers. It is also the native planet for a number of well-known species. I can provide details if you wish." At Juno's declination, he continued. "Before the Rebel base this planet had seen no advanced technology, though it once housed an Enclave which trained Jedi in the time of the Great Sith War. A great number of its students, however, fell to the Dark Side and it was one of those wayward students that eventually brought about the Enclave's destruction."

"Wonderful."

"Would you like me to continue?"

"No. That's enough. Thank you. I'd rather hoped this planet would have had a better past than that."

By now the first of the ships – the huge freighter that Kota had boarded – was making to land. Its huge mass moved slowly; its hull aglow, its sides painted crudely with the emblem of the Alliance. Juno fancied that it was a design influenced by a powerful and noble bird; its head and wings raised to the sun. Few knew of the emblem's origin. She wondered if anyone had given it any thought.

"There seems to be an issue with one of the engines, Captain." PROXY pointed out, breaking her from her thoughts.

She swung her chair around to take a look at the screen.

"Running at only forty percent on the port side." The droid added.

"She's taken a bit of a battering. I'll have to look into getting some repairs made once we land." She stood, hefting a toolbox in one hand. "I should be able to get some power transferred. It'll probably hold, but better safe than sorry." She made for the doorway. "Are you okay watching the controls for me, PROXY?"

"More okay than if you were to send me to make repairs on the ship."

"Is that an attempt at a joke?"

"Yes. Was it good?"

"Uh, you're getting better." She threw him a teasing smile and moved out into the corridor.

* * *

><p>The mass of wires behind one of the removed panels would – to the untrained eye – look an unorganized, unintelligible mess. To Juno the mess was familiar and thoroughly memorised. With nimble fingers she made short work of locating the correct combinations, changing and checking as she progressed.<p>

So engrossed in what she was doing, she jumped out of her skin at PROXY's touch on her shoulder.

"The Commodore is attempting to communicate with us, Captain."

She wiped her hands on an oil-stained cloth and leapt to her feet. "Looks like we're about to make our move." Clapping the gangly droid on the shoulder she headed back to the cockpit to respond.

"Commodore Viedas to _Rogue Shadow_. Come in _Rogue Shadow_."

She made the link. "Commodore Viedas. This is Captain Eclipse. Receiving."

"You having problems up there, Captain?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Commodore. An engine suffered some minor damage during the jump but nothing to be concerned about."

"Good to hear the situation is under control. I'm sending through coordinates for your landing. They should be coming through now."

Juno swung the chair around, fingers rapping across the keys. "Message received." She hit the 'accept' code and twisted a dial, setting it deep into the console. "Co-ordinates set."

"Safe flying, Captain. Viedas out."

The link severed and Juno began the descent; angling the nose down through the atmosphere. The planet revealed itself a moment later. Endless fields; a patchwork of dusty greens and golds. Where the horizon ended and the sky began, a lake glimmered like a mirror and, as if to keep its beauty a secret, tall trees fringed its edge.

It had been a long time since she had seen something so…natural. So…untouched.

For some reason she was not able to shake the horrible feeling that bringing Vader here would taint this land beyond recognition. Her hands trembled, tortured by memories she had tried – and failed – to bury.

The _Rogue Shadow_ tilted gently as Juno navigated down through a cleft of rock and followed the natural curve down through a beautiful gorge. Perhaps ten minutes later and the land fell away to reveal a stretch of incredibly flat land; broken by a silver, coiling river. There, bathed under the glow of the sun, sprawled the Rebel base.

As much as it pained her to admit it, the presence of those ugly buildings spoiled the surrounding natural beauty. Transports traveled back and forth from sector to sector and a line of five small ships – two being commandeered Imperial ships – waited idle. A number of crude buildings had been set up to provide temporary accommodation for the new arrivals.

Out on the platform, close to where the _Rogue Shadow_ had been designated to dock, were a large number of armed troopers. Kota's lean figure was among their numbers.

"PROXY, would you be able to—oh." She realised, then, that she was alone in the cockpit and wondered how long it had been that way. She just hoped that the droid had gone to wake his master.

Power to the engines drained, dissipating with a rejected whine until nothing but a comforting hum remained. The _Rogue Shadow_ set down gently and, flicking the switches to close the fuel lines, Juno opened the hatch and heard the steady tramp of booted feet on the metal grids.

"Take no chances. Do you hear me? Stand to attention."

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's go, men. You, you and you; stay here. The rest of you: with me."

With great reluctance, Juno dragged herself up from her seat and left the safety of the confined cockpit. From the doorway she could see a number of armed guards taking their places along the corridor, blocking her exit. One of the doors slid open and PROXY stepped out, Galen following close behind. He looked up and their eyes met as he moved to join her – much to her relief.

He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

"Feeling better?"

His grip tightened. "Honestly? I don't know how I feel."

"It's in their hands now."

Even still, Juno was certain that even if a thousand armed soldiers had been there to see the transportation of the Dark Lord, she would not have felt safer. She had seen what the powers of the Force could do, and those men…they would be no match for Vader if he escaped. In fact, the only thing that kept her rooted to the spot was her faith in the strength of the man at her side.

The echoes of loudly spoken orders could be heard where they stood and, perhaps five minutes later, the doors slid open to allow passage. Every gun was pointed in the Dark Lord's direction as his mobile prison was slid down towards the loading ramp. Even bound, the man seemed to flow with imposing strength and darkness. Even in this calm and passive state he seemed dangerous and unpredictable.

The hands of some of the Rebels shook, fingers twitching fearfully on the triggers of their weapons.

The skull-shaped helm of the Sith Lord angled very slightly towards Juno and Starkiller, but seemed unable to make the full turn in order to see them properly.

Then, he was gone. Out of the ship and down into the bowels of the base where he would be interrogated…and provoked.

"They won't get anything out of him." Galen spoke without warning.

Juno released a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. "I think that, right now, they're hoping that they can stave off attacks if they have him as a hostage."

"That won't work, either. Vader is as disposable as I was."

A young man ascended the loading ramp and hurried towards them. He was one of Kota's men, the armor he wore bearing the scars of the battle on Kamino. "Captain Eclipse?"

"Yes? What can I do for you?"

His eyes slipped across to look at Galen before snapping back to her face, clearly nervous to be in the presence of a Jedi who had reaped such destruction on the cloning facility. He cleared his throat.

"We've just had word. Princess Leia Organa has arrived. Her convoy is setting down on the far side of the complex."

"I almost wish she hadn't. It's not safe here." Juno replied. "She wishes to meet, then?"

"I don't think she intends to stay long. I've been asked to escort you."

"Wait for me outside and I'll be with you in just a moment."

He gave a sharp salute and moved back, giving the pair a brief moment of privacy that seemed to be all they would ever get.

"I don't like this." Galen spoke first.

"I know. I don't, either, but we don't have a choice."

"Keeping out of sight means keeping away from you."

"But you won't be far away." She reasoned. "Besides, I'm not completely helpless, you know. I'm sure I can hold my own until back-up arrives." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his mouth. "Will you be staying here? Maybe try and get some sleep."

"I'm done with sleeping." He replied, his face drawn tight.

"If you'd rather me not go…"

"No. Don't worry about me. I'll be here unless I'm told otherwise."

She smiled fondly, though the worry lines on her face did not fade completely. "I'll see you later." Looking past his shoulder at the droid who stood just behind them, she added. "Take care of him, will you, PROXY?"

* * *

><p>The convoy had contained a dozen small ships, old and new, no two the same. Some looked so old that it was surprising they still worked at all, let alone helped transport and hide the daughter of Bail Organa. Juno supposed that was the very reason why they were used. Appearance could be deceptive.<p>

On closer inspection, the ships looked to contain supplies such as tools, food and medicines. Perhaps these ships had flown back and forth from the planet for many, many years and had only recently been adopted by the Alliance. It would certainly help mask their presence from outside eyes who might be watching. Though, in reality, if someone was keeping watch over their goings on, it wouldn't take them long to figure something was amiss, especially since the arrival of the huge freighters.

One of the pilots, in particular, seemed to have flown too close to the bordering mudflats, the sides of the long-bodied ship almost completely covered in the stinking muck. Cleaning that would be neither a quick nor pleasant job.

The rebel soldier dropped back to match her step, still brandishing his weapon.

"At ease, soldier. You're holding that blaster so tight you're likely to pull the trigger."

He relented his grip reluctantly and holstered the weapon, taking a deep breath.

"How much further is it?"

"Not far, Captain. Just through those doors up ahead."

She walked wordlessly the rest of the way and seated herself beside the door of the conference room to wait. A small red light flashed above the door; a clear indication that the room was occupied. Inside she could hear the murmurs of voices, one more tepid than the other.

Twenty minutes later and the door slid open.

Juno only just managed to stifle her surprise as Garm Bel Iblis swept from the room. He acknowledged her only with a nod of his head before retreating down the corridor. A moment later and Leia stepped into the doorway, gesturing for Juno to follow her inside.

"I'm sorry about that, Juno. I wasn't expecting him to corner me the moment I arrived."

"That's quite alright. He…didn't seem very happy, though."

"He's not but it's something he needs to take up with my father." She seated herself at the head of the small table. "Please, take a seat. I'm glad you could make it."

Juno settled into the chair, grateful to take the weight off of her feet. She was utterly exhausted from her ordeal and, in truth, wanted nothing more than to get back to Galen and sink into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

"Welcome to Dantooine, Juno Eclipse." Leia smiled. "It hardly seems possible that you should be here after everything that has happened."

Juno nodded. "If it wasn't for Kota, I probably wouldn't have."

"I will be sure to give the General my personal thanks." Her features softened. "I understand how tired you must be so I'll try to keep the debrief short. Start from the Imperial attack on the Salvation and I'll stop you if I need more detail."

Juno drew in a deep breath and began to account as much detail as her fatigue-fogged mind could conjure. She blundered through the details of her capture by a bounty hunter and, when asked by Leia why she was taken as a hostage, floundered for a long moment.

Could she really not tell Leia that Galen was alive? That he had saved her and brought Vader to face justice?

"I can think of no reason but my rank." A weak lie that she was certain Leia had seen straight through. She felt the colour come to her face and battled to keep it away.

She kept the rest of the details vague, mentioning only what was truly necessary. "The cloning facility and all of Vader's experiments were destroyed. Sucked into the sea. So, in a roundabout sort of way, the mission was a success."

"It certainly was." Leia concluded.

"But was it wise, Princess, to bring Vader here?"

"It's the best place for him at the moment. The base you see here is only meant to be temporary. Plans are already underway to move into a stronger and more convenient location. Dantooine is being used to compile some of our resources before the move and help throw Imperials off the scent. It's risky, certainly, but this was always going to be a dangerous situation no matter the course we took."

"That's good to know."

Leia stood. "Well, if that's all?"

"It is."

"Stay close by, Captain. I have a feeling you may be needed in the coming days, especially if what Garm Bel Iblis says is true."

"I will." She turned to leave, too tired to be curious.

"Oh, and Juno."

The blonde woman paused.

"If you need someone to talk to. I'm here."

Juno felt a flare of panic in her chest. For all that Leia was young, she was certainly perceptive and wise. She might not yet have guessed what it was that Juno had omitted from her account but it wouldn't take her long to start stringing the clues together. And what then? Would she think that Juno and Kota had joined forces with the betrayer that was the revived Starkiller? Or…would she be more accepting than that?

"Thank you, Leia."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	3. Stealth

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Doing good with my schedule! Thanks again to everyone who is reading/reviewing/subscribing, etc! It makes me super happy when I check my emails and see that people are enjoying this story. I'm also up for people suggesting things they'd like to see in this fic, as well, so get in touch if so. And once again, thanks to Liisiko for being an awesome beta.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 3 - Stealth<strong>

**Location: Dantooine**

* * *

><p>The<em> Slave I<em> had executed its descent with masterful skill, tagging along with the mismatched convoy of ships and slipping away whilst they busied themselves with docking.

The thrill of the hunt was an addictive feeling that even after so long, Boba Fett never seemed to tire of. His line of work could be described as many things, but never boring.

Every day brought new challenges, new threats to battle and overcome. He faced death on a daily basis and prevailed each and every time. He did what no other could. That was how he had made his name and it was how he wanted to be remembered. If he put his mind to it, there was nothing that he could not achieve.

The bounty hunter was well aware that one day he would bite off more than he could chew. Aware that his lucky streak was doomed to run out at some point. But, so long as he kept that in mind, he could keep one step ahead of the game. Besides, being graced with a spectacular death during an impossible hunt was far better than retiring in old age.

He settled the ship amongst a copse of yellow-green trees and powered down the engines. From this distance it would be a good three hour trudge across country to reach the Rebel base. It would be dark before he got there; concealing his approach, but drawing suspicion if anyone spotted him. He'd have to be careful.

Casting a sidelong look at his 'companion', Boba took a moment to check over his armor and weapons. Satisfied that everything was still as it should be, the bounty hunter lowered the loading ramp and braced himself for the jolt as it connected with the ground. The grass softened the impact somewhat.

Behind him the clone rose to follow but Boba halted him with an outstretched hand. "Stay here. This task is mine."

The clone's eyes narrowed but Boba Fett was not one to be intimidated.

Saying nothing more, he stamped down the loading ramp and out into the afternoon sunshine. The trek was going to be laborious, but nothing that he hadn't done before. He couldn't risk bringing the _Slave I_ any closer to the Rebel base. After all it was a distinctive ship and if anyone had the opportunity to get a good look at it, the alarm bells would certainly start ringing and it'd be game over.

He closed the loading ramp behind him, trapping the clone inside and took a moment to think on whether his decision had been sound. Leaving the clone unattended with the ship was probably not the best idea, but bringing him along would probably be a lot worse. There was something that struck Boba as being distinctly…unhinged about him. Even so, if Vader had given the cloned Sith orders to follow, they would certainly supersede his own orders to stay put.

He glanced over his shoulder at the half-concealed ship and wondered how long it would take before the clone made his move. He'd have to keep watch.

Turning back, he directed his thoughts to the task at hand. His objective was clear: assess the Rebel base for weaknesses that could be exploited and plant a number of listening devices within the cluster of buildings.

If everything went smoothly he could be in and out within a day. If trouble came his way, then…well, he might not make it out at all.

* * *

><p>The <em>Rogue Shadow<em> was empty by the time Juno had showered and stopped by the med bay to get her shoulder seen to. Dressed in fresh clothes and with her shoulder wound newly cleaned and wrapped she felt reborn. All she needed now was a good, hot meal and a long night's sleep and she was certain she'd be ready to take on the galaxy again.

Now, her only worry was how to locate Galen.

Stepping back out onto the landing bay, she cast a look around, feeling slightly lost. There was sign of Galen or PROXY. She just hoped they hadn't gotten themselves into some sort of trouble.

"Captain Eclipse." One of the guards moved forwards to greet her. "Your droid asked me to let you know that your quarters have been prepared. East-sector, number 158."

"Thank you."

Well, that answered one question, at least.

Moving purposely along the narrow walkways, she navigated the sprawl of tunnels and doors, turning east towards the barracks where the temporary accommodations had been set up. Crude, compact and crowded, she pushed through the ranks with determination, watching for the numbers printed above the doorways.

Number 158 was situated close to the very end of the row and, on approach, she could hear PROXY's even tones emanating from within.

"It is good to have you back, Master. When you have time, I have a damage report I would like to share with you. I have sustained rather a lot but I'd like to assure you that most of it is superficial."

"Ought to do it sooner rather than later, then."

"Very well."

Juno pushed the door inwards and peered inside. The room within was small and stuffy despite the vents being opened as far as they would go. Galen looked up as she entered, pausing mid-bite. On the table in front of him was a good quantity of food that he seemed to be steadily working his way through. One benefit on living on a farming world was that good, fresh food was in abundance.

She felt his eyes on her as she closed the door behind her and dropped down into the seat in front of him.

"So, this is where you snuck off to." She teased.

"Sneaking is right."

"Where did you get the food from?"

Galen jabbed the utensil in the droid's direction. "PROXY."

"And they gave food to a droid?" She blinked, mildly surprised at that.

"Everyone knows that PROXY is your droid. He's one of a kind."

"Not entirely true, Master." The holodroid added, remembering the remnants of his destroyed 'brothers' back on Kamino.

"Which means he used my name to get this food? Wait…is that my meal you're eating?"

"Relax, Juno, there's plenty here." He shoved a plate towards her. "I'm almost finished, anyway."

She eyed his plate sceptically, thinking back to the first time they had met. He'd been even thinner then and his appetite had certainly been poor at best. He'd filled out a little since those early days but his desire for food was definitely not as hearty as one might expect.

Over dinner, she told him about her meeting with Leia; about the possibilities of a mission coming their way, the irritation she had sensed from Garm Bel Iblis and the fact that Leia suspected Juno had held back information from her.

"They're going to find out sooner or later." Galen shrugged. "If they do get Vader to talk, no doubt he'll mention my name. It won't take them long to jump to conclusions."

Juno bit at her lip. "And me covering it up isn't going to make it look any better…I hope Kota knows what he's doing."

"It's too late now. What's done is done."

A light tap sounded at the door and the pair froze.

"It's only me."

"Kota." Juno breathed. "Come in."

The door swung open and the elderly Jedi sauntered in, a square package balanced on one arm. "Hardly an officers quarters, I know, but I figured you two would want to stay together and this seemed the safer option."

"What's this? The General has a romantic side after all?" She jested, feeling in a good mood for the first time in so long.

The Jedi snorted. "Hardly."

Juno smiled, secretly touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Anyway, just dropped by to give you this." He threw the package at Galen. "Thought it might come in handy."

"What is it?"

"Something to help you blend in. Anyway, can't stop to chat. I wanted to speak with Leia before she left. Hopefully she's got time."

"All the time in the world, I'm sure."

He dipped his head and backed out of the room.

Stretching, Juno got to her feet and worked her way around the table, looping her arms around Galen's waist and pressing a kiss against his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Clothes." His mouth twisted with distaste as he held them up for Juno to see. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she laughed at the look on his face.

"Very cute."

His 'low profile' clothing consisted of a pair of greasy overalls and a matching cap.

"You'll look very fetching as an engineer, I'm sure." Juno teased, snatching the cap and pulling it down over his head.

Rolling his eyes, he dropped the package onto the table and pulled her into his arms, holding her close, breathing in the scent of her freshly washed hair. He'd had a chance to scrub up on the Rogue Shadow and the pleasure at feeling the dirt and grime wash away had been totally revitalizing.

Now, all he wanted was to hold her close and sleep, knowing that she lay safe in his arms. Perhaps her presence would be enough to keep the nightmares away.

"About that report, Master?" PROXY interrupted.

"Later."

"I'll…just go and make myself useful elsewhere, then." The droid replied, moving around them and out through the door.

Galen reached down and pressed a kiss to the corner of Juno's mouth and, with a deep sigh, pulled them both down onto the bed. It was neither comfortable nor very big but at that moment, such details hardly seemed important.

He held her close, tucking one arm around her shoulders; her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. His other arm draped protectively over her waist. She purred contentedly in the back of her throat, settled her head against the curve of his shoulder and hugged him tight.

"Did I thank you?" She murmured; her breath warm against his skin.

"For what?"

"For coming back to rescue me."

His arms tightened about her. "You don't need to thank me."

"We've…got a lot of things to talk about, haven't we?" She felt him tense briefly and continued. "I love you, Galen. We've been given this second chance and I am not going to let it go. Not for anything."

"I…I love you, too."

Those words meant far more to her than she could ever describe.

* * *

><p>Boba Fett hunkered down in the shadows, eying the sprawling complex of the Rebel base laid out before him. Shrouded in shadow, it looked rather ominous and the bounty hunter couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.<p>

He glanced back over his shoulder, wondering if the clone was far behind, and then set his sights on infiltrating the base.

During his approach, whilst on higher ground, he had gained a rough idea of the structure of the development. The interconnecting corridors spread out from the central dome. Larger and more secure in the middle, they became less defensible towards the outskirts. In time of crisis, Boba assumed they would lockdown the central units and use the narrow walkways to funnel off enemies into a manageable space.

A good and strategic build, to be sure.

A searchlight swept across the borders of the territory and Boba watched its sweeping path be joined by its twin. Looking up, he could just make out the darkened shapes of the sentries against the night sky. One of them stood, stretched and leaned over the railing to gaze out across the open expanse of the fields below.

The bounty hunter, ever patient, settled down into cover and waited for the inevitable shift change or – failing that – lapse in concentration which would give him time to slip by undetected.

The moment came just half an hour later when the pair of sentries challenged one another to a game of cards that drew their attention away from their surroundings. The searchlights continued to sweep in their wide arcs, but with a well-executed and timely path, Boba managed to maneuver around them, rolling at the last moment to avoid being bathed in light.

Pressing himself flat against the wall, he paused to listen in; not wanting to proceed if they'd caught a glimpse of him in the shadows.

A bark of laughter followed and then the rippling sound of cards being shuffled by an expert hand.

In a way, Boba didn't blame them for being less than studious in their work. After all, they had no reason to suspect anyone was out in the darkness. No alarms. No suspicions. They were stationed there 'just in case' and nothing had given them any reason to suspect any foul play.

Not yet, anyway.

Sidling up alongside the building he leaned forwards to peer around the corner. A guard was moving away from him, blaster in hand. It would have been an easy shot to take. Too easy. Sadly this was a stealth mission and shooting now would only draw unwanted attention. He waited patiently for the guard to turn back and, when the footsteps paused and started to head away again, he followed quietly behind, trying to ease open each door he came across. The first two were locked but the third slid open automatically with a faint hiss. He slipped inside, closed the door and turned to survey the empty corridor. He could hear voices somewhere close by and edged his way across to the shadows.

"…Expecting more ships tomorrow."

"I don't like it."

"What?"

"All this sudden movement."

"It can't be helped. Anyway, some of the larger freighters are taking their leave first thing, or so I heard."

"Where to?"

"Who knows? Everything's a secret nowadays."

"They're afraid we're being watched."

"I heard they managed to bring in an important Imperial spy."

"A spy? Really?"

Boba filed away that particular information. Clearly Darth Vader's presence here had not been confirmed to many of the soldiers stationed here. Those that knew must have been sworn -or bribed- into silence whilst everyone else was kept out of sight when they transferred the Dark Lord.

He supposed secrets were the only advantage the Rebels had.

The voices had now passed out of audibility and the bounty hunter pressed on, edging quietly up the corridor.

His finely tuned senses buzzed with warning and, sensing movement behind him, he swung to take out his follower. He brandished the blaster like a club, intending to ram the barrel across the head of his newly acquired shadow.

His swing was blocked by a strong hand and he only just managed to mask the surprise at seeing the silent apprentice standing there.

"I told you to stay." Fett's gravelly voice seemed oddly strange in the quiet corridor.

"I am needed."

This 'evil' clone certainly had the voice of the one who had pursued Vader but it was still strangely different. Flat and…emotionless. If Boba were a lesser man, it would have unnerved him.

"Not by me, you aren't."

The clone smiled; the flash of white teeth and twist of the mouth not at all pleasant. "I think you will come to appreciate my presence, in time."

"I've seen the way you clones operate." Boba Fett commented.

"No one will know I am here." The clone would not explain it to Boba Fett but he could mask his presence so that his power seemed far less. And, with his master's overwhelming aura, he would go overlooked so long as he made no direct move to attack.

The bounty hunter said nothing, turning on his heel to move towards the far end of the corridor. The clone fell into step behind him and Boba felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He liked to work alone and having this clone tagging along with him had not been part of the deal.

The doors slid apart with ease and Boba Fett came face to face with a Rebel guard. The young man – in the middle of a yawn – paused in surprise before jerking to attention, going for the blaster in its holster.

"Agh, uh! Intruders!"

Before Boba could react, the Apprentice had stepped forwards, hand waving through the air as if discarding a frail thought. "We are not intruders."

The guard blinked, his hand faltering on his weapon. "No…you're not intruders."

"We're on patrol. You want to carry on with your business."

"You're on patrol. Uh, carry on, then." He released his weapon and stepped aside to let them pass, looking dazed even as the odd pair disappeared from view.

"Back to guard duty then, I guess."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	4. Gift

**Disclaimer: No, sadly, I do not own Star Wars...**

**Note: Sorry guys, a little behind schedule this week. Had a really manic weekend involving family reunions and a lot of transporting people around in the car. Will more than likely have an update with you for this coming Saturday. Thanks again to all my wonderful readers and reviewers. As always, your support means a lot. And thanks again to Liisiko for being a fantastic beta!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 4 - Gift<strong>

**Location: Dantooine**

* * *

><p><em>"Father?" His voice echoed through the remnants of the rotting hut, which had once been his home. The last time he had been here, his father's spectre had appeared before him. Now it appeared he was talking to himself.<em>

_"Father?"_

_He wasn't sure why, but he thought that the sadness might have finally lifted from this place. After all, he'd turned away from the dark side and brought the Senators together to form an alliance against the Empire. But…it was still dark. Still sad._

_His head drooped, shoulders slumping. "I'm…I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. So much has happened since I was here last. You wouldn't believe the half of it. I'm not sure I even believe it. But…I wanted you to see…to see that I've changed."_

_"Who are you that darkens this place?" Came the familiar voice and, from the shadows, an ethereal form – touched with blue light – swept out towards him._

_"Father?"_

_The spectre frowned. "You are not my son."_

_Galen blinked. "What?"_

_"You are not my son."_

_"I am your son!"_

_"I know my son."_

_"I am Galen Marek! How can you not know that?"_

_The spectre shook his head. "You…you are not even human. How could you possibly be my son?"_

_"You don't know what you're saying!"_

_"Leave this place, imposter. My son is dead."_

_"Then why does his spirit not stand by your side? Did he not die in the light? Where is he?"_

_The robed figure withdrew wordlessly back into the shadows and Galen fell to his knees, feeling the crushing weight of darkness and despair fall upon him._

* * *

><p>He was jolted from his sleep, which – in turn – knocked Juno from hers. Concern filled her blue eyes, forcing him to look away. He didn't want her to see him in such a vulnerable state for the second time in so many days. She pulled him close, pressing a comforting kiss to his neck.<p>

"More bad dreams?"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not, but that's okay. You've been through a lot." She snuggled against him. "Tell me about them, Galen."

"Juno…"

"You can trust me, you know."

"I know. I do. It's just…it's hard to explain."

"Take your time." She eased him onto his back and tucked herself against his side, pillowing her head on his chest. Over his heart. His fingers absently smoothed her hair, seeking to comfort them both with the simple gesture.

"I'm…afraid of what might happen."

She remained silent; worried that speaking now might have him closing up before he'd even begun. In her chest, her heart hammered with the beginnings of panic.

"I can…I can protect you from anything and anyone. Everything but myself. How…how do I protect you from myself?"

"I…I don't understand."

"When…well, before…when I rescued Kota from Cato Neimoidia…he…" Galen cleared his throat and continued slowly, as if thinking over every single word before it left his mouth. "We spoke to a Cerean medic about the cloning process. It was Kota's way of trying to convince me that I wasn't a clone." Though sadly the attempt had failed. "He told me that any attempts made at cloning those with Force sensitivity brought terrible results." The words had burned into his memory and he listed them off to her with a rising sense of dread. "Insanity. Psychosis. Suicidal tendencies. If that happens to me…"

"It won't." Juno's voice was firm, her fingers tightening in his shirt.

"How can you possibly know that?"

"I just do." She insisted. "I know_ you_."

"What if..." He cut himself off, sighing deeply. "I just don't know any more. I...hope you're right."

Juno squeezed her arms around his waist. "I usually am, aren't I?"

When he didn't respond, she lifted her head to peer at him, her eyes dark with concern. "Galen..."

"I'm sorry. Look, I'm being stupid. Just...ignore me."

She shifted her body against him, tilting his head so that their lips could meet with ease. A jolt of electricity ran through her at the contact and she knew that she would never tire of kissing him. He seemed somewhat reluctant at first but her warm persistence paid off and his mouth softened beneath hers.

Truthfully, she had meant the kiss to be nothing but soft and reassuring. But, with her rising desire, the soft touches became hungry and passionate. Putting aside the gentleness for something that put heat in her belly, she pulled herself atop him, catching his lower lip between her teeth.

His arms came up around her, pressing her close as he drew a deeper kiss from her, pausing only when breathing became a necessity.

She set her forehead against his. "So…too tired to go any further?" Her smile was positively flirtatious.

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Hmm-mmm."

A slow but wicked grin spread across Galen's face and, before she could react, he had her pinned beneath him, his mouth tracing kisses along her jaw line.

* * *

><p>He leaned against the barrier to watch her work, a smile curling the corner of his mouth. When he'd first met her – or the original him, anyway – she'd been working like this; making last minute repairs before their first mission. She'd been dressed in Imperial uniform, smart and proud. He remembered the fire in her eyes and her inability to back down or be intimidated by him.<p>

He had been drawn to her from that very first moment.

Granted, he'd not had much contact with people – particularly women – but his other pilots had been nothing like her. They had all been male, for one thing, most of them old and stern and seemed either too keen or not keen enough on the job. Oh, sure, they'd been good flyers, but they'd lacked that certain something that had kept them from being killed (either during missions or by Vader himself.) He remembered the death of the pilot before Juno. Only on the job three weeks before he made a mistake he would never be given the chance to make again. The man had been too proud and, when Vader had highlighted these faults and his inability to follow orders, the pilot had leapt to defend himself.

Even now, Galen could remember the curl of his master's fingers as he constricted the pilot's throat with the Force. The tint of blue on the man's lips, the way he had gaped like a helpless fish.

Juno was curious and lively and intuitive. She was – despite her age – more skilled and talented than the pilots before her. But she could control and mask these personality flaws (if one could call them flaws, of course) when needed.

Now, there she was, a few meters away, working just as before.

And she was beautiful.

"Thought I'd find you here." Kota appeared at his side, PROXY with him. "Playing the part of the womanizing engineer, are we?"

Galen gave a loose shrug.

"What's that, there, Master?" The droid reached out nimbly, tugging the collar of Galen's shirt down to reveal a dark bruise on his neck. Kota gave a bark of laughter as Galen's face turned a brilliant shade of red, clapping a hand over the mark that Juno had inconsiderately left there.

"Haven't you got somewhere to be, PROXY?" He grumbled.

The droid made a show of looking dejected. "Of course, Master. I know when I'm not wanted." And he trudged away.

"Careful." Kota warned. "You don't want a jealous droid on your hands."

Juno looked up just as Galen pulled the cap lower across his face and threw both men a smile.

"It's good to see her happy again." Kota added as an afterthought.

The length of silence was broken, eventually, by Galen. "You here for something important, old man?"

"Of course I am." He eyed the young 'not-quite-Jedi' with mock disapproval. "They're not going to interrogate Vader for a couple of days, at least."

"And?"

"They don't want me around when they do." Kota pointedly refused to make eye contact.

Galen arched a brow, questioningly. "Are you being _serious_?"

"Boy, when am I not serious?"

"Good point." He growled. "But let me get this straight." He paused, drawing in a hissing breath. "They want you out of the way when they start riling an uncontrollable beast? One they won't be able to stop if something goes wrong? You're exactly who they need around. Are they stupid?"

"They think I might do more harm than good."

"Do they not understand who they're dealing with here?" Galen leaned sideways to force Kota to look at him, arm cutting angrily through the air.

"Shh, boy. Keep your voice down."

A finger jabbed in the old man's direction. "No, you _need_ to be there. They don't…he can't be trusted!"

"I know. I know. You don't need to tell me that." He set a hand on Galen's shoulder and lowered his voice. "I've been dealing with those anxious Senators longer than you have. Trust me when I say there's no changing their minds."

"They're asking for trouble."

"Listen, forget it. It's out of our hands. That's not what I came here to talk about. They've picked up on another lead they want me to check out. Something Garm has been pressing for the others to follow through for the last few days. Given the circumstances I would have said no, but Leia has made it clear that the Senators feel I'd be better out of their hair until they've attempted to reason with Vader. She tried to dissuade them, but...you know what they can be like."

Galen's eyes darkened with disagreement.

"And, to be honest, I'd much rather be out doing_ something_ than waiting around here. It just figures that the one time they decide on action it would be at the most inappropriate time."

"Fine. Fine. What's the lead?"

"They intercepted some transmissions a week ago and some more this morning. Looks like the Imperials are designing a new ship."

"Is that all?"

"Well, I don't know. It's a powerful ship. They want me to take the _Rogue Shadow_ and gain intelligence."

"Wait. What?" Galen's eyes seared back across to Kota's. "Hang on a moment. If you're doing the infiltrating then who's doing the flying?"

"Well, Juno, of course."

"Oh no. No, no, no. If she goes, I go."

"I don't want to leave the Rebels completely unprotected, boy. Vader is wounded and imprisoned but if the worst should happen—"

"—I didn't risk everything to save her just to let her go again." He was bristling with rage, his shoulders drawing up with a sharp intake of breath.

"You're being ridiculous. For one minute will you stop and think about the larger picture? The only reason she ever got into trouble was…" Kota trailed. "Forget it." He waved a hand dismissively. "If she's with me she's away from Vader. Doesn't that count for something?"

"I_ can't_ let you take her."

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" Juno had given up on trying to eavesdrop in on their conversation. She set a hand on her hip and fixed them with a stern look.

"If you're able to get the_ Rogue Shadow_ fixed up in the next day or so, the dear Senators may have a mission for us."

"So what's the issue? What sort of mission?"

"One which doesn't involve me." Galen interrupted. "You could be walking into a trap for all we know."

"Boy, stop letting your feelings get in the way of the job."

"My _'feelings'_ have only worked in your benefit so far." He snapped, advancing. 'If anything happens to her than I'll…" He never finished the threat – the shock of the words he had wanted to say stunning him into silence. Than what? He'd hurt him? _Kill_ him? Horrified at himself, he took a small step back, almost as if unable to trust himself not to carry out his threat. "I…I need to go."

"Galen, wait." Juno tried to catch his arm as he turned, but he was quicker than she was; away before she could move to intervene.

"Probably best to let him go." Kota replied distantly.

"They don't know he's here anyway, so what difference will it make if he comes with us?"

"If the worst does happen then he'll be here to protect these people."

"Do you think something will happen?"

"With Vader, nothing is certain." Kota's face was grim.

* * *

><p>"Master? You're back early." PROXY looked up as Galen stepped into the designated accommodation and used the Force to close the door firmly behind him. "Is something wrong?"<p>

"No. Yes. I don't know." He sat heavily and buried his face in his hands. "Everything."

"Come now, Master, it can't be all that bad."

"I think I'm losing my mind."

"We could find you a new one?"

Galen jerked back to his feet, pacing erratically. "They've been called away on a mission. They're leaving me here. What if something happens and Kota can't get back in time or—"

"—Sorry to interrupt, Master, but if it helps, I could go with them?"

He paused, casting PROXY a surprised look. "That might not be such a bad idea."

"Always happy to help."

Galen sighed. "I thought things would be different once I found her, you know."

"Different? How so?"

"I don't know. I just…I've been used by Vader and now it seems I'm just being used by the Alliance. All of the choices are taken out of my hands and I'm just expected to follow them without question. I don't know if I can live like that anymore."

"We all have our orders, Master."

"But we don't all have to follow them." He sighed. "I need to meditate."

"Then I'll leave you to it."

* * *

><p>For Juno, the next couple of days were shared between making repairs on the Rogue Shadow and indulging herself in the passions of her new relationship with Galen.<p>

As for Galen, himself, he seemed to have calmed down a little and though she was certain he hadn't worded an apology to Kota about his angry outburst, the two men seemed to be back to their normal father and son rapport.

She reached into the mass of wires – revealed by removing one of the panels – and felt along the pipe for any breaks in the insulating membrane. Locating it a moment later, she unscrewed a circuit board partially blocking her view and gutted the ship to make room for the repair work. An hour later – tired and exhausted – she leaned backwards and called out to PROXY.

"Start her up."

A moment later and the ship rumbled to life beneath her feet. She waited for the sound to settle into a comforting growl and then called out again in a louder voice.

"How's it running now?"

"A lot better, Captain. Engines now operating at satisfactory levels."

"Excellent." Grinning with triumph, she began to replace the circuits and mass of wires, screwing them back into place and clipping the panels back into position. Standing, she stretched the ache out of her back and moved into the cockpit.

"There are still going to be a few issues until we can get replacement parts, but these quick fixes should be more than adequate for now." She clapped the droid on the shoulder and thanked him for his help. "I'll need to see about making connection with Bail Organa. Would you be alright to transmit?"

"Of course, Captain."

She hit the com-link. "Juno to Kota. Do you read?"

"What? No code names any more?"

She smiled. "We can use them if you want."

"I take it you've finished with the repairs?"

"I have. Would you be able to patch through to Senator Organa? I've got PROXY up here with me."

"Be right there." He ended the link and Juno waited the fifteen minutes it took for everything to be set into motion and for Kota to join her.

PROXY took on the form of Bail Organa just as Kota stepped into the cockpit.

"Captain Eclipse. General Kota." He acknowledged. "Have all the repairs been made?"

"They have, Senator. The_ Rogue Shadow_ is fit for service."

"That is good news. Kota has been briefed already, I believe, but let me recap on the transmissions we managed to intercept."

The pair nodded.

"There has been talk of a new Star Destroyer prototype that is nearing its completion. If we can find proof then we can make plans to sabotage this new creation and deal another blow to the Empire. Co-ordinates and mission detail has already been transferred to your datapad, Juno."

"Understood."

"It's highly important that you both remain incognito and give feedback as soon as you are in safe range." Bail Organa gave a wry smile. "May the Force be with you."

PROXY shed the skin of Bail Organa and took a small step back, photoreceptors blinking in an almost dazed fashion.

"Can you run a diagnostic, PROXY? I've got something to do before we head off." She gave the Jedi a meaningful look and hurried back to the barracks, pausing only to rummage briefly in the small store room on-board the ship.

* * *

><p>When she arrived, Galen was meditating, sitting cross-legged on the bed, his head bowed. At her entrance his concentration lapsed and he just barely managed to catch the lightsaber before it could tumble to the ground.<p>

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay."

She all but fell into his arms, rubbing her face against the smooth, warmth of his shirt. "We'll be leaving today."

He forced himself to relax but his voice was still tense. "I'll…be right here."

"I know. We'll try not to be too long. A few days at the most."

"Just…keep an eye out, okay? If it seems too easy or too obvious, get out of there as quickly as you can."

"I'll be on guard. I'm protecting Kota the same as he'll be protecting me."

He looked away.

"And PROXY will be there, too."

He kissed her without warning; a hard, possessive kiss that drew the breath from her lungs and left her giddy. They parted for breath and she followed up the spontaneous kiss with a string of softer ones.

"You need to take care of yourself, too." She reminded him softly, aware that without her, Kota or PROXY there, he'd have no one to talk to.

"I'll stay out of trouble." He confirmed with a slightly forced smirk.

"Good." She gave him a tight hug and then gathered her feet back under her. He stood to return the gesture and she listened to the thrum of his heart beneath her ear. Only with great difficulty did she step outside of the warm circle of his arms.

"Before I go, I have something for you."

He tilted his head, curious, as she fumbled in a pouch hooked to her belt. He saw the gleam of light spilling between her fingers as she held up to object for him. The holocron that had belonged the original Starkiller's father. He hesitated in taking it, feeling a tight panic beginning in his chest. As a clone, did he have any right to this? Did he even want to know what secrets it held?

She took his hand, gently uncurled his fingers and set the object in his palm. "It's yours by right."

"You…kept it safe."

Juno smiled. "Of course. I…think you need to hear the information it holds."

He nodded slowly, wrapping his fingers around it. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." She tugged on his collar to lower his head, pressed a short kiss to his lips and then backed away. "I love you."

"Love you, too." He swallowed. "Stay safe."

Then she was gone.

He drew back away from the door; longing to go after her. Longing to be with her. A few days seemed – quite suddenly – like a very long time. He just hoped his unease would prove to be misplaced.

Turning to the table, he set the holocron gently on the desk and stared at it for a long moment. Juno had clearly listened to the files contained inside. Whatever she had found had not been so terrible that she had felt the need to keep it from him. There was truth and knowledge in there that he had never expected to find. But now that he was faced with it, he was hesitating.

He reached out lightly with the Force, touched along its edge and activated the archive. If he thought too much on it, he might decide to avoid the data there. He could dwell on the consequences later – if, indeed, there were any.

Dragging a chair out from under the table, he turned it around and seated himself. Before him, a beam of light spread out across the tabletop to form the image of a man. He was younger than the spectre Galen had met more than a year ago on Kashyyyk, but it was most certainly him.

"Greetings, Jedi." Came the calm and helpful voice.

"Hello, Father."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	5. Infiltration

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

**Note: On time, as promised! Thanks to all my new subscribers/reviewers/watchers/readers. I'm quite surprised at how many visitors I've been getting for this fic, so thanks for taking the time to stop by! Also, just a heads up, I may not be able to get an update next weekend as I've got a bit of a busy couple of days planned. Thanks also goes to Liisiko for her awesome beta skills! Finally we get to see a bit more plot stuff going on. I realise it's been quite a slow start, but there is more action ahead, that I promise you.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 5 - Infiltration<strong>

**Location: Brentaal IV**

* * *

><p>From this distance, the <em>Rogue Shadow<em> was barely more than a dark speck against the sky. The Apprentice followed it's trajectory with his eyes, watching until the ship accelerated into the folds of hyperspace and disappeared.

Behind him, Boba descended the loading ramp of the _Slave I_, pausing to cast a glance around them. The scenery was starting to get boring. And so was the cloned apprentice, for that matter. Everything about this job was starting to aggravate him. If it wasn't one thing going wrong, it was another.

The Apprentice shook his head and turned; expression grim.

"Speak." Boba Fett ordered.

If the Apprentice was irritated by the order, he masked it well. "The _reject_ is not with them."

It didn't take a lot of thinking to work out what he meant. The reject was the escaped clone, and if he was not onboard then he was still inside the Rebel base.

"Then we go in. If he's as badly made as you say he is–" a fact that Boba Fett did not think was completely true, "–then you should have no problem killing him."

"It is not yet time to reveal myself." The Apprentice replied evenly. "We both have our orders."

"You have orders." The bounty hunter replied through gritted teeth. "I have a job." _Which I can walk away from if I want_, he thought silently, _unlike you_.

The Apprentice did not reply.

"You can sense his presence from this far away?" The bounty hunter asked, though he did not care much for the answer. Sith or Jedi; they were all one and the same. Useful, to an extent perhaps, but untrustworthy, too.

"Yes." The Apprentice moved past him and back up into the ship.

Losing patience, Boba Fett followed, seating himself in the pilot's chair and patching through to a secure line.

A moment later and the connection was made; the face of a grizzled human male looming at them from the holographic panel. The man was one who had not aged well; his brow deeply furrowed and his eyes sagging. He held himself with a great deal of self-importance, but Boba knew better. This officer had been given a job to do, but he understood little – if any – of the 'why'.

"I thought you were not to contact us until the job was done." The man spat.

"My job would be done by now if you hadn't failed to deliver." Boba responded coldly.

"What? Failed? Explain!"

"The need was not dire or irresistible enough to lure away all of the targets. It seems that you'll have to make them a more tempting offer."

"I didn't think those Rebels had the option of being _particular_ about what opportunities they took." The officer snapped.

"Two of the targets are on their way now. Make sure they find something there that will call for a second look." He cut off the transmission, leaned back in his chair and waited.

* * *

><p>"There it is. Brentaal IV." She drew in a deep breath. "Have you ever been there before, Kota?"<p>

"No." He replied. "Getting in and out may take some time, but I don't think it'll be too much of a threat."

Directing her gaze back to the surface, she concluded that he was right. The volumes of traffic going back and forth were immense; streaming with ships of all shapes and sizes. The _Rogue Shadow_ was an unusual ship but, sat amongst the rest of the rabble she could see, it would blend in nicely.

"It might be a good idea if I set her down and wait for you to return, in that case."

"We'll have to pay the docking fee." Kota reminded.

"We'll draw less attention, though, if we dock and stay than if I leave and return again within a couple of days."

The man bit indecisively at his bottom lip. "Galen wouldn't approve. He'd want you up and out of danger."

She made a face. "Galen worries too much. Besides, if you get into trouble and I can't get down to you…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "I can't risk that happening."

Kota didn't seem particularly happy about the situation but said nothing to deter her.

Smiling victoriously she directed them down to join the throng of ships moving in to land. The planet loomed closer, tilting sickeningly as she corrected their path and followed a Lambda-class shuttle at some distance.

"Okay, here we go." Increasing speed, Juno made some minute adjustments to the ship's alignment, checked the wings and began a descent. In front of her the Lambda-class shuttle dropped away: having been given its landing coordinates. Bringing up the data from her datapad onto the main console, she double-checked the information she had been given.

Static buzzed over the comm. and she leapt to respond.

Names and ship details handed over; co-ordinates to their destination were quickly relayed and set into the navi-computer. No hitches at all. Setting the _Rogue Shadow_ onto autopilot, Juno flicked through the last of the data.

"We'll be reaching the Votrad starport in about…one hour." She checked the time. "Once we set down I'll need to organise paying the fee and registering. After that you're free to go. I suggest that PROXY takes my shape as you leave so they believe the ship is empty. After that, he can change and adapt to any situation that arises." She double-checked the frequency for Kota's com-link, ensuring it worked to receive and relay.

"Stop worrying, Juno. It'll be fine. Remember, you've done this sort of thing before. This will be no different."

"I know. I'd just feel better if he were here."

"Honestly, Juno, I think he's better off where he is. He's been through a lot and I don't think he's ready to join with us again just yet."

"I think you're right, but I'm still worried about him." Absently, she rubbed at her still healing shoulder. "He's really not in a good place at the moment."

"He'll be fine. Once we return, I'll arrange a meeting with the Senators and let them know about him. We can't keep him a secret forever and he'll be needed in the future – no doubt about it."

"And what if they don't want his help?" Juno asked softly.

Kota scowled. "I'll convince them."

They halted their conversation to go through mission detail until they were greeted by the starport staff and guided down to land. Warning PROXY to stay out of sight, Juno moved to finalise the docking fee.

* * *

><p>The whole process took longer than expected and, by the time they were finally ready, Juno's nerves had twisted into a tight bundle in her stomach. Wondering whether she'd finally lost her nerve, she watched as PROXY and Kota prepared to depart the ship.<p>

The holodroid had transformed into an exact replica of herself; from the crinkles in her clothes to the weary expression on her face. It startled her to see just how tired she looked and it took her a moment before she could drag her eyes away. "Be safe, both of you."

"There's nothing to worry about."

She rolled her eyes, gave them a small smile and turned back to the cockpit to take her seat. She heard the sounds of their feet on the loading ramp and then the hiss of the hydraulics as it drew in on itself; sealing and locking behind them.

Tapping into the correct frequency, she checked that the signal was clear and couldn't hide the smile from her voice. "Blackout to Blackguard. Do you read?"

"Loud and clear. I'll make contact again once we're inside."

She leaned back in her chair and waited. After all, there wasn't much else she could do. It was up to them, now.

* * *

><p>Kota stepped into the welcome lounge of the huge starport, PROXY, still in his Juno disguise, following a couple of steps behind. The room – despite its huge expanse and high ceilings – was stuffy and crammed with an assortment of visitors and workers alike. Most were human, though he spotted a small group of Rodians chattering enthusiastically in their native tongue. They were mostly ignored by the passers by.<p>

"Pay attention to the uniforms, PROXY." Kota muttered under his breath. "You may need to replicate them later." He'd have to rely on PROXY's observation skills for the time being, it was difficult to focus his 'Force-vision' properly in such a chaotic place.

"Already doing so, General."

"And keep talking to a minimum." He noticed that whilst Juno-PROXY did indeed look like her, there was a slightly robotic edge to the voice which became more obvious the louder he spoke. The droid was clearly still in need of repairs.

They moved across to a large reception desk being managed by a lone female human and a small army of protocol droids. Leaning against the desk, Kota tried to catch the attention of one of them, shoving PROXY behind him with an elbow.

"Can I help you, Sir?" A droid turned helpfully towards them a moment later and Kota pointed a finger down on the desktop where the layout of the huge complex stretched out before them.

"I need directions. Can you show me where I am at the moment?"

The droid made a small, chattering noise and – with precise tapping on the console in front of it – enhanced a portion of the map, setting an indicator where they were stood. It blinked a vibrant yellow.

He turned to PROXY and asked. "Is this where we are supposed to be?"

The droid leaned forwards and nodded. "Yes. Seems so."

Kota nodded thoughtfully.

"Where are you trying to get to, Sir?" The droid asked helpfully.

"Oh, I just wanted to check I was in the right place. Do you know whether a Captain Evets has arrived yet? I was due to meet him here at two."

"Sorry, Sir, I don't believe he has. Would you mind waiting whilst I find out for you?" The droid bustled across to the other side of the desk, catching the attention of the rather harassed looking woman. After a moment of conversation the woman looked across at them, scowled a little and then shook her head. The droid returned a moment later.

"My apologies, Sir. We have no record of a Captain Evets. Did he assign you a pass to get through into Imperial class?"

"Sadly not. No matter. We'll wait here." He turned back and, with a hand on PROXY's shoulder, steered him away. "Find us a table near the far side, will you? Might as well have a drink whilst we wait."

"If you don't mind me asking, General. Who exactly are we waiting for?"

"Captain Evets, of course."

* * *

><p>A couple of drinks later and Juno tried to make contact with them again. "Any progress, Blackguard?" She already sounded infinitely bored. However, at that exact moment, the person Kota had been waiting for appeared.<p>

"Not now." He muttered under his breath, cutting off transmission. Leaning forwards, he caught PROXY's attention and pointed at a young woman with auburn hair cut into an absurdly neat little bob. She had an arm full of papers and was carefully maneuvering around the gatherings of people. He'd spent the past forty-five minutes focusing on the comings and goings of everyone in the room. She, in particular, seemed to come and go frequently.

"I see her." The holodroid confirmed.

"She's our ticket inside." Kota leapt to his feet with surprising swiftness and weaved through the crowds towards her. PROXY was hastening to catch up until the old Jedi drew to a halt and gave the droid a hurried order. "I'm going to knock over that woman. Whilst she's scrabbling about after the papers she's dropped, see about stealing her pass while you help. As soon as you're done, come find me and we'll get you a new identity."

"Yes, General."

Determined, the Jedi moved towards the woman at quite a pace, not seeming to notice her as he altered his course in direct overlap with hers. He veered at the last moment but not enough to avoid a collision. The poor, short-haired woman was knocked to the ground and Kota wasted no time in making himself scarce; quickly lost amongst the crowds. The disguised PROXY was there a second later to help the woman up.

"Why can't people watch where they're going…?" She was complaining as she pulled herself up off of the floor. With a groan of dismay, she dropped back to her knees a moment later and began to pick up the documents that were now being trodden beneath the boots of unhelpful passers by.

"Here, let me help with that." The droid knelt to pick up a handful of the documents, seeking the pass that Kota had mentioned. He saw it hanging from a clip on her belt and edged around to her side.

"I'm going to be in so much trouble." The woman paled as she hefted a bunch of very crumpled papers up in her hands. "I'm going to be sorting through this all night."

"Some people are so inconsiderate." The droid lamented, keeping his voice quiet to help hide the metallic ring.

"Tell me about it." She leaned further forwards to reach some escaping papers and, with agile movement, PROXY plucked the pass from her belt.

"Here you go." He handed her the papers he had collected and stood, making a show of stretching the ache from his knees.

"Oh, thanks." The woman seemed a little confused as to why the blonde would stop to help and then not see it out to the end. With a shake of her head and a shrug, she moved back to collect the last of the escapees, leaving PROXY to make a swift exit.

So intent on getting away, the droid almost bumped straight into Kota, who had been watching from afar.

"Well done, PROXY." He took the pass from the droid. "Now, do you think you can mimic that woman to get us through the restricted areas?"

"That is what I am here for." Edging out of sight, the droid dropped his Juno disguise and donned his new identity. The face of the auburn-haired woman smiled back and Kota returned the pass to its 'owner'.

"My name is Su Fen." The droid replied in his new voice.

Kota patched through to Juno. "Blackguard to Blackout. Do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Blackguard. What do you need?"

"Can you see about getting us some information on a 'Su Fen'?"

"I'll give it a shot." She was silent for a good few minutes and then: "Okay, on screen now. Not a lot of information. She's a trainee accountant by the looks of it. Her supervisor is Marl Eurlo. She's recently had a couple of warnings about being behind in her work…" Another pause. "She does, however, have access to the restricted zones."

"All of them?"

"Most."

"Can she get us to Imperial class?"

"Without a doubt."

"Excellent. Blackguard out."

* * *

><p>All of them were desperately aware of how much time was passing and how little had yet been achieved. Kota was not one for these sorts of missions. He was a Jedi, yes, but he much preferred direct action rather than all of this sneaking around. He could only hope that all of this hard work would pay off and see the Rebels gain yet another upper hand on the Empire.<p>

They had used the pass to gain access into the restricted corridors and were moving as casually as possible around the slow curve, passing a great number of rooms as they did so.

"Blackout?"

"Here."

"Can we get a schematic of this place?"

"Already on it. However, there is a bit of a problem. There are so many different variations I'm not sure what is the most up-to-date layout. I'll keep them all up on screen just in case."

"No dates?"

"They all seem to be drafts."

Kota gave a grunt of annoyance. "It'll have to do. We just passed room number 254b."

"Okay, up ahead there should be a branch off. You want to go right. I'll be able to confirm if one of—"

"—Hold that thought." Kota interrupted.

A man in his late forties was trudging up the corridor towards them. Before that moment he'd been looking down at a datapad. Now he was looking straight at them.

"Su?"

Su-PROXY froze at Kota's side and blinked, trying to regain some composure. "Yes?"

"I thought you were taking that paperwork to your place to finish? You're not paid overtime to slack off, you know." He was a tall man with a short crop of dark hair and uneven stubble on his chin. If Juno's information had been correct, he was Su's supervisor.

PROXY's disguise looked flustered. "I haven't forgotten. I left without some of the data I needed."

"Think about the brain-transplant, yeah?"

PROXY bristled.

"And who is this? You don't work here." Marl's eyes locked in on Kota.

"No. He doesn't. He's come for a meeting with Captain Evets. The woman at the desk asked me to show him through."

"Never heard of him."

"Me neither. The receptionist says he's one of those ones who were recently promoted."

"Go on then. Get out of here. I don't want to see you again until morning."

"Yes, Sir!"

They waited for him to disappear before hurrying their gait, aware now that they only had until morning to find the information they needed. The moment the real Su walked into their office and her supervisor brought up their after-work conversation, the alert would be raised. If they found no proof of their existence, the supervisor might put it down to sheer forgetfulness on Su's part. Otherwise…

Reaching the fork in the corridors, they swerved right and backed up into the hollow of a doorway to stay out of sight.

"Blackout. We've reached the fork. Tell me what I'm looking for."

"At the end of the corridor there should be a door leading to a huge generator. Through there is a side entrance which will take you through to engineering. However, if this plan is wrong, it could mean another right turn and then following the arc around. If it's the latter, I'll need to guide you through some interconnecting corridors."

With a nod, Kota stepped back out into the corridor and straight into the path of a security droid.

The droid brandished its weapon straight at Kota and his fingers flexed towards the saber hidden in his belt.

"This is a restricted area. State security codes."

Su-PROXY fumbled.

"State security codes."

The disguised droid checked his pass for anything that might be a security code, but even if it was there, he wasn't given time to give a thorough look. The security droid raised its weapon with intent to shoot. His plan, however, was cut short by Kota's lightsaber. The blade came to life, cutting a burning line across the droid's middle, severing it completely in two.

"Blackout. We've hit trouble. Can you see if you can access security codes for this sector?"

"I'll try."

PROXY shook his head. "What are we going to do with the droid, General?"

He pursed his lips in thought and made contact with Juno again. "And another thing. We need to dispose of some droid parts. Is there a waste disposal unit nearby?"

"I'll see what I can find."

In the end, they had quite a bit of navigating to do, working their way through dimly-lit corridors and pausing to let droids pass them by. With no waste disposal in the plans – at least none that Juno could find which wouldn't mean making a huge detour – Kota decided to use the Force to send the pieces of the security droid out into the ravine that ran along the east side of the port.

"Be careful." Juno warned. "The next corridor is under surveillance. I can track its path to guide you by without being seen. Once we're through that then we're almost there."

"Have you managed to find any information on the Imperial class starport?"

"I haven't been able to track it down yet. I'll let you know when I have something."

Kota grinned to himself. Juno had probably thought this mission would be relatively easy going on her, but she had been working non-stop since they had broken through into the restricted zones. He just hoped she didn't burn out before it was done. He imagined it would take them a few hours, yet, to get where they needed to be.

* * *

><p>A few hours was right.<p>

Once they were through into the huge Imperial class starport there really was no letting their guard down. The place – though open day and night – was certainly quieter and hard to blend in now that darkness had fallen.

Workers on their night shifts were accompanied by droids who swept floors and wiped tables and bustled busily from one section to the other. A group of soldiers in Imperial uniform sat around some of the larger tables, drinking and laughing.

"There's a cloak room on your left as you head towards the main desk. If you want to go any further today, I suggest you take a detour and see what you can find." Juno's voice whirred over the link.

"If we can get this done tonight we can be away before anyone catches onto anything." Kota turned sharply, almost knocking into Su-PROXY. Looking at the droid he clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "We need to get you a new disguise."

"Let's see..."

His form rippled as the holographic image of Su Fen drained away. In its place was a young man in the Imperial uniform of an officer; two medals pinned to his suit jacket. The face was smooth, eyes bright, but the man was struggling with a swiftly reclining hairline.

A small droid was there to greet them into the cloakroom with a string of high-pitched bleeps. It passed them by without much interest, moving on down through the rails. At this time the cloakroom was mostly empty, save for a few coats which Kota had no qualms about stealing. He shrugged one of the heavy, dark colored coats over his own clothing and buckled it closed. His skin crawled even as he turned to seek PROXY's approval.

"So, what are you called now?" Kota asked.

"I am now Corporal Samson Fyne."

"How do I look?"

"Would you like me to be honest, General?"

"…No. Come on, let's go." Reaching for the com-link, he made contact with Juno. "Blackout. We're disguised and ready to go. Any luck with the schematics?"

"Sorry, I'm not making much progress back here. I normally wouldn't suggest going in dark but…we could be here for a while. The systems are well protected. Very well protected. They clearly have something here they don't want others to find and I'm not convinced it's this so called super-ship, either."

"Something else, then?"

"Oh, wait, I've got a partial download coming through. It's a couple of years old but it might be adequate."

"Let's get this show on the road, then."

* * *

><p>In the early hours of the morning, Kota and PROXY came into sight of their destination. Juno – now running on nervous apprehension alone – continued to direct them to the hub of the Imperial starport.<p>

Even so, things were going strangely well and her trepidation was mounting with each passing moment. Galen's words of warning were playing on a loop in her head. If he had been here would he have ordered the retreat? She nearly laughed at the thought. Galen did not ever retreat. He would have pressed on despite the dangers and come blasting out of there leaving chaos and discord in his wake.

But this mission was unlike any of those Galen had been sent on in the past.

Here, subtlety was key. A trail of dead bodies and destroyed droids would leave clues and raise suspicions before they were off of this blasted place. Still…her skin prickled with warning and she voiced her fears to Kota over the com-link.

"I'm not turning back now." Was all he said in return.

She didn't blame him.

* * *

><p>They were close now, edging up one of the last, vast walkways; their footsteps masked by noisy machinery somewhere far below them. Floor lighting lit on approach, making it clear to anyone who might be watching that someone was on their way. Kota glanced over the edge of the platform to see a drop of about twenty feet. At the bottom was the source of the incredible noise; huge generators rumbling with life and crackling with energy. A fall down there would be a costly one indeed.<p>

"There's no saying what we might come across once we go through that door, PROXY." Kota mumbled quietly. "Stay on guard."

The double doors slid back to reveal a circular chamber. On the outside of the room, small consoles blinked and chirped away to themselves. All the chairs were vacated – save one – which held a rather sleepy looking Intelligence Officer sagging heavily to one side. At the center of the room was the main console; humming softly, its screen dark.

Motioning to keep quiet, Kota lead PROXY around the transparent partitioning and over to the console, seating himself as if he belonged there. The console flickered into life and Kota reached inside his coat for the datacard he'd brought for this very moment.

Glancing over his shoulder at the dozing officer, he inserted the card and waited a full five seconds for the normal workings to be interrupted. A warning flashed briefly red and then, as fast as lightspeed, files both old and new, flew across the screen. The rows of green text reflected across Kota's white eyes as he sat and waited for the tell-tale chime that would indicate the right files had been found. It came a moment later and he leaned back a little.

"Watch the data transfer for me, will you?" He pulled himself up from the chair to make room for the disguised droid to sit. The sound of a door opening froze him in place.

"Woah! Who the hell are you? You shouldn't be here!"

They had company.

"Jheff! Wake up! Sound the alarm!"

The officer, who had been dozing quite happily a moment before, jerked to his feet, spinning so quickly that he lost his balance and knocked sharply back against the desk.

"Wha-? Intruder?" His eyes flared with shock to see Kota and PROXY there and then relaxed. "They're wearing uniform, Gus."

"Sound the alarm." Gus hissed. "They're spies, you _idiot_!"

Jheff went for the alarm like a striking snake – so quick that Kota only just managed to prevent him from doing so. With a blast of the Force that smashed and splintered monitors he knocked the man so hard into the wall that for a moment he thought he might have killed him.

A moment later a low, pained moan, proved otherwise.

Gus, gaping in the doorway, turned to run. "Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm!" He punched the door locking mechanism and backed out of the room, clearly making a run for it.

"Stay here!" Kota called to PROXY, thrusting a plasteel crate across the room, lodging it tightly between the door and the floor; leaving just enough of a gap to slip beneath. He dropped to the ground, his momentum carrying him through the opening, and hurtled down the corridor after the runaway. The heavy, olive-grey coloured coat weighed heavily but feeling his way with the Force gave him all the advantage he needed. Using his abilities, he tracked the man down – finding him hiding in a small room trying desperately to lock the door.

He yelped as Kota entered and backed away fearfully. "Stay away from me. I know what you are."

"Not much of a threat, is it, kid? I'd work on that if I were you." He motioned at the chair and the man sank into it, clearly fearing the worst.

Kota knelt, sharpening an invisible blade of Force that he worked into the man's mind. "You've been working, too hard."

"I've…I've been…"

The old General pressed harder, concerned for a moment that he was losing his touch. "Working too hard."

"I've been working too hard."

"You're having a bad dream. You'll wake up soon and none of this would have happened."

He felt Gus' defenses drop away. "Just a bad dream."

Kota straightened and, without missing a beat, struck the man across the head.

He stayed long enough to ensure he was out cold before slipping out and heading back for PROXY and the datacard.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	6. Patience

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

**Note: Surprise update!**

**Thanks to all my readers and to Liisiko for checking through my chapters, as always. Also, a quick question, would anyone be interested in reading some additional 'cut-scenes' from this fic? I had a few ideas that I wanted to write, but haven't because I didn't want to slow the pace of this story. If so, then I'll probably publish them as a separate collection.**

**Oh, and that action I promised you? Yeahhh…not until chapter 9, I'm afraid. Until then you just get the ominous clouds gathering overhead. Hope you brought an umbrella!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 6 – Patience<strong>

**Location: Brentaal IV / Dantooine**

* * *

><p>Juno was buzzing impatiently around the cockpit, checking and rechecking to ensure she hadn't missed an incoming transmission from Kota. It had been perhaps two hours since the Jedi had contacted her with the message that they'd gotten the data and were heading back. Since then every attempt she had made to communicate with him was met with silence or a gruff: 'it's going fine'.<p>

Even Galen – back when they barely knew each other – had been a little more talkative than that.

"This is taking too long." She murmured to herself, checking the time yet again.

And then: "Blackguard to Blackout." Kota's voice was hushed; his breath crackling across the com-link. "You there?"

She was back in the pilot chair within a split second. "I'm here."

"Ran into a spot of trouble. Close call but we got out. We managed to hitch a ride on a shuttle. Should be back in Votrad in the next hour."

"And how long to get back to the ship?"

"Hm…not long. I'll let you know."

Unable to begin any preparations – lest she give herself away – Juno did the only thing she could do: rest her eyes. Unfortunately resting her eyes became sleep which was eventually disturbed by Kota's voice.

"We're almost there."

She lurched forwards, fuzzy headed as she fumbled for the link. "Make sure PROXY changes back into me."

"Already done." Her own voice echoed back at her – distantly – through the communicator.

Getting to her feet, she stumbled across to the starboard side and leaned over the console to peer out across the landing deck. It was hard to see around all the other ships stationed there, though at least they were partially obscured from view.

When they eventually came into sight, she lowered the loading ramp and moved down to greet them.

"Good to have you back, Blackguard." She smiled.

He gave an amused grunt. "Good to be back."

"Okay, you two wait here. PROXY, can I leave you to start the preparations? I'm going to go and get clearance."

* * *

><p>"Sorry, but no can do."<p>

"What do you mean; 'no can do'?" Juno couldn't keep the irritability out of her tone, her hands set rigidly against her hips.

"Just doing my job, lady. Go back and wait at your ship." He shrugged and turned his chair around; setting his feet up on the desk in a manner that suggested he couldn't care less.

"I thought this starport operated around the clock? What exactly will I be waiting for?"

He whirled back to face her, his grotesque face pulled back into a snarl. "You're waiting for a message from _me_ to say that it's okay. They've got a situation up in the Imperial section that needs looking into. Until that happens, your sweet little ass is staying put. Now, get lost." He waved her away with one fat, stubby hand.

The statement sucked all the anger out of her, replacing it with a cold, coiling dread in the pit of her stomach. With a swift nod, she turned on her heel and hurried back to the ship, preparing to lie low for as long as it took. They couldn't risk capture now. Not when they were so close to getting away.

* * *

><p>Galen had listened to every single entry that his father's holocron contained twice since the <em>Rogue Shadow<em> had departed, though he wasn't sure how it made him feel. In a way, he felt sad to listen to those entries. To be reminded of a time when his original self and his family had been happy. To be reminded that he had forgotten them completely until that day in the old hut on Kashyyyk.

How could the original Starkiller have forgotten them? How could pain and hate and anger block them from his memory so completely? He couldn't believe that a six year old boy could not remember he had once been loved and cared for.

At least, now, he could say that he knew of his parents. At least he could say that he admired them for the way they had chosen to live. They had abandoned the Order to lead happy lives with one another and they had died defending their beliefs.

Still, a part of him did not feel worthy to hear those stories. After all, he was not the son that Mallie had carried and birthed. That son had died…and had died for something he had believed in. He, on the other hand, had been grown in a vat, choking on fluid as took his first breath: a fully-grown killer, bred for no other reason than to wreak destruction. He had never been the soft, happy child they had been so proud of.

Neither did he share in their original son's beliefs.

He would die to protect Juno, yes, but he didn't really believe in the Rebellion. Not in the way the original had, anyway. Yes, he agreed with its morals and shared its wants and desires. It was just…he wasn't sure if it could ever be accomplished. He wasn't sure if anyone could truly make a difference. He wasn't sure whether his heart was in it anymore.

He tried to keep himself from dwelling too much on it, but the problem there was that if he wasn't worrying about that he was worrying aboutJuno. He wondered whether he would feel if something was wrong, just as his father, Kento, had felt the death of his best friend all that time ago.

Would he know if she was in trouble? Would he be able to sense anything past the dark fog of Vader's presence?

Luckily for him, he would not find out the answer to that question. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a starship coming into land and looking up, he froze on the spot.

They were back!

His heart leapt into his throat and in seconds he had left the barracks behind and was tearing down the corridor towards the landing pad. He was cast a few odd looks as he went, reminding him to pull the brim of his cap down a little lower over his face. But odd looks or not, he did not slow.

The day was exceptionally bright and as he swerved out under the full, unrestrained sunshine he had to pause to shield his eyes against the sky.

The sight of the silhouetted ship coming down to land was a spectacle that he was sure he'd remember forever; touched by sunlight and set against a backdrop of endless blue. Its angular facets distinctly predatory as it came to land, touching down gently a moment later. The roar of the engines mellowed to a pleasant rumble that trembled through the ship's chassis and after a prolonged moment the loading ramp lowered.

He stepped forwards, desperate to see her, only to stop again at the sound of a raised voice. Catching himself, he turned his forward momentum into a side-step that had him concealed by another ship. And just in time, too. A second later and three of Kota's men – accompanied by Garm Bel Iblis – arrived on the scene to welcome back the weary adventurers.

Cursing, Galen drew back a little further, glaring bitterly at the group who would get to celebrate their safe return openly. Feeling a cold stab of jealousy in his chest, he leaned back against the neighboring ship and watched from beneath the faded orange cap as Kota stepped out of the _Rogue Shadow_.

The Jedi greeted the Senator and Galen watched as the two men conversed, their words muffled by the steady drone of the _Rogue Shadow_'s engines. A second later and they cut out to silence, allowing Galen to partially overhear the conversation.

"…as it could have." Kota was saying. He held out his hand and the sun turned the datacard to shining silver.

"This is it?"

"Everything we could gain."

"Then we'd better get this back. Will you join me?"

Kota half-turned, then, with a nod, held up a hand. "Give me a moment." He started back for the ship and Galen lifted his head; expectant.

That was when he saw her. Her shoulders were a little slumped as she descended and her hair was no longer neatly brushed into a ponytail, but otherwise she was in one piece. Relief rushed through him.

Kota moved in close to speak with her. His voice was too quiet to hear, but she nodded and watched as the old Jedi moved back to join with Garm. Only then did she look across at him, clearly having been told he was there.

Their eyes met and they stood, frozen like that until Kota and Garm were out of sight. And, in the moment when the doors closed behind them, he jerked into motion, closing the gap between them and pulling her up into his arms. Her body melded against his and in that moment everything was perfect.

With a hand cupping her face, he guided her mouth to his and sealed the moment with a needy kiss.

* * *

><p>Kota stood in a room with Garm Bel Iblis and the holograms of Bail Organa, Leia Organa and Mon Mothma.<p>

"We'll need time to review the data." Mon Mothma replied.

"Time we don't currently _have_." Garm all but growled.

"We cannot rush into this uninformed, Garm." The woman snapped. "We do not have the resources to waste on fruitless escapades."

"And yet, time _is_ of the essence, my friends." Bail interjected.

"Then we need to decide who is best for deciphering the data we have." Mon Mothma continued. "I suggest you leave it with me."

"I object." Garm replied, more heatedly.

"The more time spent arguing, the more time we waste." Bail added. "Sending the data to Mon Mothma risks it being discovered by untrustworthy eyes. I say it stays with Garm and Kota. They have men they can trust to help them work on it."

Garm nodded, looking more at ease.

"Very well." Mon Mothma replied slowly. "It is agreed, then."

"We'll look through the data." Kota interrupted. "And quickly." Even he – a man of action – could see sense in being well-informed before making an attempt such as this. The last thing they needed was to attack the wrong ship or end up chasing after a lost cause. "They knew we were there at Votrad but it will take them time to uncover what exactly we took from them. I imagine they held quite a lot of important data there."

The Senators nodded and the meeting came to an end shortly afterward.

Kota followed Garm out of the room.

"All it will take is for us to look through and pinpoint important data. It won't take long. Unfortunately, I am not a droid. I need some rest before I'll be of any use to you. My colleague, Fell Sheen, will aid you in my absence."

Garm nodded, silently.

"What's the news with Vader?" Kota continued, knowing that Garm would expect the question.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He gave a bitter smile. "Can't say that I'm surprised."

"How long will you give him to speak?"

The other man shook his head. "As long as it takes to get some answers."

The muscles in Kota's jaw tightened and he said nothing more. They reached an intersection in the corridor and the Jedi dismissed himself. "You know where to find me."

"I do. And thanks again, Kota."

* * *

><p>"Are you just going to stand there, or…?" She let the question hang, glancing down at him from over a shoulder. He was still dressed in the dowdy overalls, one hand on the ladder she was perched on.<p>

"What? I'm holding the ladder for you."

"It doesn't need holding." She pointed out, shaking the metal construct to make a point.

"Alright, alright, hang on." Casting a wary look around, he reached out with the Force, allowing it to slide across the hull, seeking blemishes and filling them with energy. He manoeuvred the dented panels back into shape; something that took considerable concentration or otherwise risk even more damage to the ship's structure.

As he worked, Juno busied herself with the welder, fixing the new patches firmly into place. The shower of sparks crackled against metal; dulled against the photosensitive visor pulled down over her face.

"This poor ship. She's been through a lot."

"Hmm." He sounded distracted.

She laughed, shaking her head in amusement. She'd never get anything intelligent out of him whilst he was concentrating on his task.

Dropping down from the ladder, she set the welder down and stretched, lifting the visor to admire her handiwork. There was something incredibly satisfying about working on a ship, to see as its design was improved upon and evolved over time. The _Rogue Shadow_ had always been an incredible ship, but it had certainly come a long way from when she had first taken over the reins.

Beside her, Galen took a small step back, lowering his hand.

Juno, smiling, gave him a nudge with her elbow. "Not bad."

"I think you'll find it's as good as new."

"I'll let you know if it passes the inspection." She teased, moving back to retrieve the discarded welder. He caught her in the crook of her elbow and used her forward momentum to spin her back into his arms.

He reached up to caress her cheek, noting the dull fatigue that veiled the colour of her eyes. He would have moved forward to kiss her, if she had not prevented it; drawing the clear visor back over her face.

"Nah uh." She chided gently. "Not here. Secret, remember?"

"You are such a tease." He replied in a low voice.

"Do cut it out, you two." Kota's gruff voice interrupted them and they leapt apart like scolded teenagers. "If you're trying to be subtle, I can tell you now: you're failing miserably. Even a blind man can tell."

"Well…you're not exactly blind, are you, Kota?" Juno replied, deciding quickly that it was probably a good idea to divert the conversation. "Any news on the data, yet?"

"Not enough." Kota was getting impatient again, though with good reason. It had been two days since they'd returned from their recon mission and still nothing. "I'm expecting something to come through at any moment."

"It can't be much longer." Juno reasoned. "In any case, the _Rogue Shadow_ is ready to go whenever time calls for it.

He gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

"There's someone coming now." Galen pointed out, doing his best to look inconspicuous.

Kota turned and leaped to his feet. "Any news, Fell? Please tell me there's news."

"There is, sir. Senator Garm Bel Iblis is asking to speak with you at once." Fell Sheen blinked across at Juno. "He'll be wanting you to leave at once, I expect."

Juno nodded.

"Captain, we'll patch you through to the conference room from the _Rogue Shadow_ if that's okay?" Fell continued, glancing across at Galen and giving him a respectful nod. She was one of the few who were aware of his existence. One of the few who had witnessed what he had done on Kamino.

"Makes sense. I'll get straight to it." She snapped into action, moving into the ship.

Galen waited just long enough for Kota and Fell to be out of sight before following up the loading ramp and round into the cockpit. By the time he arrived, she had already set PROXY onto aiding her in preparations for a swift takeoff.

"You're coming with us, this time, right?" She asked without looking up.

"I, uh, guess so." His heart clenched at the thought of being separated from her again and, without thinking, wrapped his arms about her waist, pulling her back flush against his chest. Her body tensed briefly and then sank gratefully into his embrace.

"I think we'll need you. Destroying ships is your forte if I remember correctly."

"One of many." He replied, squeezing her around the middle.

She laughed, swatting at him lightly as she moved to respond to the incoming link.

Playfully, he dipped his head, placing feather-light kisses against the side of her neck. She wriggled in his grasp to deter him. She impressed him when she answered the link with a clear, strong voice.

"Captain Eclipse."

"Welcome, Captain." Came the slightly distorted voice of Garm over the speaker. "I'll try to keep this as brief as possible. We're all aware of the time wasted so far and no doubt you're both eager to set off. General Kota tells me that your ship is ready to fly?"

"On the order, Senator." Juno confirmed, leaning sideways to escape Galen's incessant teasing.

"We've managed to whittle through the information to two possible locations." There was a pause and Juno assumed he must have brought up an image via a holomap. The pause gave her a chance to wrestle free from Galen's embrace in which she firmly pointed at him and then the co-pilot's chair in a silent order.

Rolling his eyes, he did as he was told.

"The ship was last ordered to fly within the Corellian Sector, masked for cargo only. We've managed to find the most accurate schematic of this ship, which will show you exactly what we've got on our hands. All the relevant data has already been encrypted on the datacard. It includes the full schematic and details of weaponry. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell us how many people are currently stationed on board. As it's still an incomplete ship, I'd hazard a guess at little more than a skeleton crew."

"That doesn't narrow it down much. Is the Corellian Sector as accurate a destination as you could find, Senator?" Juno asked, accessing the navi-comp.

"No. We have two destinations within the Sector, though unfortunately they are far from accurate. Our first and most likely is Selonia. The second, Drall. I've already arranged for you to meet with Commodore Viedas aboard his ship. He'll be arranging a second team to travel to Drall. Communication between you and the Drall team will be essential and you'll have to be prepared to move in to aid the other once the ship has been located."

"And the ship itself?" Kota asked.

"If you can commandeer it, the Alliance would certainly not turn it away." Garm replied. "But, if this does not become a viable option, it will need to be destroyed. When complete, this ship could pose great threat to us. We cannot give it that chance."

"Understood."

"I'll leave you in charge of the datacard, General."

"I'll make the preparations. We can be away within the hour."

"The quicker the better, Captain."

"Eclipse out." She severed the link and began plugging co-ordinates. "How are things going at your end, PROXY?"

"Very well, Captain. The ship is fully functioning."

"I need you to run a check on the weapons systems for me. Let me know when the results come through."

"Expecting trouble?" The droid asked.

"Hopefully not, but I'd rather be prepared." She turned to check on Galen and was not surprised to see him still sitting in the co-pilot chair, staring out through the viewport, lost in thought. She drew in a short, worried breath and paused her work to check on him. He jumped at her touch on his arm and, without warning, she leaned down to kiss him on the mouth.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He assured.

"You're not." She replied quietly. "But you will be."

"If it would help, we could spar, Master?"

Galen looked across at the gangly droid and, after a moment's hesitation, nodded. "Actually, I think that would be good idea."

The droid brightened. "Excellent! I will be sure to put up a good fight."

"Wouldn't want you to go easy on me."

* * *

><p>"Kota…before you go, can we have a word?" Garm asked quietly.<p>

"I'm listening."

"It's…Vader."

Kota's head tilted, curious and suspicious all at once.

"He…broke his silence."

The old Jedi seemed to bristle at that, his chest and shoulders tightening defensively.

"He told us that his apprentice was back. That he has returned to the Dark Side and is stronger than before."

Kota's silence seemed to concern Garm, but in truth, the Jedi did not know what to say. He had not expected this, though perhaps he should have.

"Kota. Do you know anything of this?" He pressed.

"Lies." The man replied; perhaps too quick to dismiss. "You cannot trust the word of a Sith. Starkiller died defending the Alliance. Don't forget that."

Garm's eyes narrowed. "I remember all too well, General." He was clearly agitated by the Jedi's response. "Go. We've delayed long enough. I'll keep you updated should anything new arise."

"If you would, Senator."

As Kota stalked away he realised, wearily, that bringing the Senators around to accept the miracle that was Starkiller's return would be an incredibly difficult task. He supposed he couldn't blame them but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

At least it was now clear to him that Galen would be coming. It was too soon to show himself and this mission – if successful – could go a long way to proving where his loyalties lay.

* * *

><p>Boba Fett stirred impatiently as he watched the clone meditating – if what he was doing could even be called meditation. He was seated, cross-legged on the grass; head bowed, hands on his knees. Yet, despite the peaceful posture he had adopted, the expression on his face was far from it. A muscle in his jaw twitched, teeth gritted. His brow was furrowed; sweat beaded his face. The hands that clasped his knees did not rest there gently, but gripped so hard that the knuckles had whitened. His breathing, too, was ragged and uneven, as if he were in pain.<p>

Perhaps he _was_ in pain.

Boba was slightly concerned that the clone was losing his mind and wondered what the Dark Lord would say if he turned up alone with the news that he'd had to kill his maddened apprentice. It probably wouldn't go down too well.

Fortunately, there was something that Boba prioritised over credits. His life. If things got dangerous – more so than they already were anyway – then he'd call it quits and live to fight another day.

The Apprentice was mumbling now, low and steady under his breath. Boba Fett, instinctively, felt for the blaster at his hip.

Then, suddenly, the voice became audible.

"It's time." The Apprentice was on his feet and turning to face the armored bounty hunter; his yellow eyes strangely luminescent in the fading light.

Boba could guess what the clone was talking about and nodded. "Then stay here. It's time for me to do my job."

"No." The clone snapped. "This is my duty. It is as my Master wills."

Boba's eyes narrowed beneath the visor.

"Ready your ship, Bounty Hunter. This will not take long."

And before he could even argue, the Apprentice was off, tearing across the open landscape with the Force aiding to quicken his step.

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><p><strong>A closing note:<strong> some of you may not know, but the reference to Kento's holocron comes from my other fic: 'A Glimpse of Light'. The records are also detailed in my one-shot fic: 'There is No Death.'


	7. Diversion

**Disclaimer:**** No. I still don't own Star Wars.**

**Note:**** Does sparring count as 'action?' Probably not, no. Ah well. In any case, have another chapter. Thanks again to Liisiko for checking this through and being awesome as always.**

**On other, unrelated news, I am learning how to sew! It is…more difficult than I thought and my sewing machine hates me.**

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><p><strong>Replies to reviewers:<strong>

**Liisiko - I'll see what I can write up, then! I have a few extra scenes in mind (mainly plotless fluff) thanks for reviewing!**

**From Pen to Paper - I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I have gotten a tad obsessive with the details in this fic...thanks for your review!**

**Sephenon - Glad you're enjoying it! And don't worry, Galen will get to do some fighting eventually! And have no fear. I will be finishing this story! Thanks for your review!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 7 – Diversion<strong>

**Location: The **_**Armistice**_

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><p>"Focus, boy!" Kota's barking order came from across the small training room, grating on Galen's nerves as he parried PROXY's attacks and span into a deadly flourish that had his saber whining through the air.<p>

"You're not helping." He snarled back.

It was a different experience fighting against the droid now. After all, PROXY had fought him in an attempt to end his life. With that programming now gone, PROXY was a different combatant altogether. Less driven by his desire to succeed in his programming, he now took his time to carefully analyze the situation, which – oddly enough – made for a much more complex sparring partner.

"You've changed, PROXY."

"So have you, Master. The last time we fought, you only wielded one blade."

Their sabers clashed again, Galen pushing away with such force that the droid stumbled back and almost lost his footing.

Galen looked down at his double sabers and blinked. It felt so natural to him now to use two weapons that he could hardly remember a time where he had carried only a single blade. He extinguished one, returning it to the clip at his belt, and shifted into a new style.

PROXY was there within moments, pressing the attack, driving him backwards. With a twisting motion of his hand he parried the attacks with relative ease, turning the blade to a reverse-grip and drawing it up across PROXY's chest. The armour plating screeched, spraying furious sparks, and the droid relinquished the close proximity, circling to wait for another opening.

Using the Force to aid his speed, Galen drove forward, elbow bent at a ninety degree angle. He lanced outwards, bringing the blade round to clip against the droid's hip and knock him completely off-balance. Unfortunately, PROXY had anticipated this and leapt sideways, bringing the hilt of his own lightsaber down against Galen's shoulder.

Galen went down, pivoting on the heel of his palm, and aimed a kick at PROXY's middle. The droid went flying and Galen only just stopped him from hitting the wall with a cushion of Force energy.

Juno would be mad if they damaged the ship.

Kota's 'hmph' of disapproval all but ended the sparring session.

"What is it this time, old man?"

"You need to clear your mind. You're making mistakes."

Galen frowned. "Care to take PROXY's place?"

Kota blinked, his clouded eyes flickering indecisively. There was an extended moment of silence and then, at last, the old Jedi stood, flexing his shoulders. "Very well. I may be an 'old man', but there's still a thing or two I can show you."

Galen tried to mask his surprise at Kota's acceptance. The last time they had fought it had been under extremely different circumstances. He had been clouded by darkness and Kota had been perhaps a little overconfident – too quick to dismiss the talents of a young Sith. The fight had ended up with Kota blind and tumbling to a death that he had somehow managed to escape. A talent of his, apparently, having also escaped relatively unscathed from Cato Neimoidia. Kota would certainly be ranked high among the names of the galaxy's best survivors.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you." Galen smirked, widening his stance and shifting into a more defensive position.

Kota said nothing, igniting a vibrant green blade and balancing it securely in his palm.

Galen – ever eager – made the first move, diving in for the attack.

There was a flash of green and Kota's saber connected with his, drawing a fierce buzzing and preventing any further advancement. With a twisting-push, their blades came unlocked, forcing them into a drawn out attack, taking turns at attacking and parrying. With an elaborate flourish, Galen turned his reverse grip into a spinning jump, bringing the blade down in an action that would have carved deep into the shoulder of any normal man.

Kota, however, side-stepped neatly out of harm's way, one hand now on Galen's shoulder and shoving hard. By shifting his furthest leg back, Galen kept himself from being thrown to the floor, leaning into the added pressure and retaliating with a vicious swipe of his saber.

Again the weapons connected and again they parted, seeking an opening that could be manipulated into victory.

"Back on Kamino, adrenaline flooded your senses. You were constantly on edge." Kota lectured. "Now, with Juno safe, you've had time to think over what happened." The white-haired Jedi countered another attack and fought for dominance, the muscles in his arms bunching with the strain of the struggle.

"Wouldn't you?" Galen griped, hissing through clenched teeth. The hiss became a growl of frustration and, with a burst of strength; he gained the upper hand, knocking Kota backwards.

"I don't blame you, boy, but if you want to regain your former strength, you need to accept that what has happened cannot be changed. You are who you are. Make peace with that fact."

The General lifted a small container with the power of the Force and shot it at Galen with the speed of a bullet. Galen ducked, slicing the container in two and almost gave Kota the opening he had been waiting for. Realizing his mistake – and not a moment too soon – he turned to defend himself and danced out of harm's way.

"So, you finally admit that I _am_ a clone?"

"Not at all. But, the likelihood is that we will never know the truth."

Galen gave a bitter laugh. "I thought that was why you wanted Vader captured."

"It's not all about you, boy."

Galen put the Force behind him and used its energy to enhance his jump. Tucking his legs up, he performed a somersault that had him landing neatly on his feet at Kota's back. With a grin of triumph, Galen stepped in to claim victory only to find Kota ready for him. The older man dropped to the ground and twisted, kicking Galen's feet out from under him. The impact drove the breath from his lungs and he opened his eyes to see the point of Kota's saber resting quietly just above his throat.

"The question is, boy: does it matter?"

Frowning, Galen turned his free hand up and drove a blast of Force power upwards. It struck Kota on the chest with unexpected strength, freeing him from being pinned. Rolling back to his feet, he gained ground, twisting his wrist to parry even Kota's swiftest attacks. Then, with Kota almost pinned against the far wall, he drew back his arm and lunged. Again, the older man evaded, turning so his back was to Galen, a vice grip now on the younger man's wrist. With a sharp tug he had Galen stumbling forwards and again the green blade swung around – pausing just centimeters from the side of his neck.

"Well?"

Galen's breathing was strangely labored and when he spoke, his voice sounded rough and sad. "It does if…if being a clone means losing my mind."

With a sharp nod, Kota sheathed his saber, setting the cylinder at his hip. "Your fear of madness is understandable but completely unfounded. Juno sees—"

"—Juno sees only what she wants to. I tried to warn her and she just…she dismissed it as if it was nothing to be concerned about."

Kota arched a brow. "Do you not think that Juno would notice a change in you?"

Silence.

"Boy, you are every bit as fiery, stubborn and reckless as you always have been. Those aren't traits of madness. It's just who you are."

* * *

><p>Fell Sheen rubbed tiredly at her eyes, squinting at the blurring screen in front of her nose. She'd not stopped to rest since she'd been given the task of working through the information that Kota had brought through from Brentaal IV and even now, she was certain there might be other important data that they had skipped over in favor of information on the ship's whereabouts.<p>

The ship had not yet been given a name, instead being referred to by the first four digits of its registration: XF-32. Details they had gained were sketchy at best and she still wasn't convinced that they understood its capabilities as a warship.

As awful as it sounded, much of the mission was being based on assumption from the scraps of data they had managed to piece together. She couldn't deny, however, that the longer they waited, the chances at securing this prototype slipped away.

For all they knew it may already have been too late.

Dragging a hand across her tired face, she paused to stretch the kinks out of her spine and thought back to the chaotic last few weeks. Being part of Kota's team was never easy but it was certainly something to be proud of. Fighting alongside the Jedi, she felt important and useful; as if she were really making a difference. A small difference, yes, but even small steps would eventually see them at the top of the mountain.

Cracking her knuckles, she loomed back over the console again, scanning the reams of data filing vertically across the screen.

Perhaps after this was done, she might be allowed a short trip back home to visit family. She'd not had word from her mother for a long time and the woman had never kept great health; particularly since the death of her husband – Fell's father.

A muffled thud somewhere in the room beyond distracted her attention for a moment and she paused in her work to listen. Nothing. That was…odd. Frowning, she untucked her legs and stood, moving cautiously towards the door. Pressing the activation switch, the double-doors, inset with blue lights, receded.

Fell startled, her eyes flickering wildly across the room. Two guards lay slumped in puddles of…of…

"Oh…no." Her voice sounded strangled and she leaned against the doorway for support. Her eyes moved up the form of the figure standing over the dead guards. He was thin but strong, dressed in black and bandaged at the arms.

"Starkiller?" She recoiled in horror.

His head snapped up and though it was Galen's face, it did not bear his eyes. This one's eyes glowed with a feverish yellow and the twist of his mouth held nothing but malice.

Fell stumbled backwards, slamming her open palm against the locking mechanism. The doors closed with a swift swishing noise; closed over the bands of red that had hummed to life in his grasp.

Silently screaming at her legs to work, she staggered back to the console, reaching for the com-link to raise the alarm.

Behind her the doors were suddenly blown inwards by a blast of energy. The same energy hit Fell across the back, sending her sprawling across the desk. The ominous hum of the twin, red sabers in the Sith's hands grew louder and she struggled feebly to right herself, drawing herself up from the console – the screen now smashed and useless. One side of her face was bleeding profusely from a gash in her cheek and it streamed down into her mouth; dripping onto the broken surface beneath her.

Her vision doubled, sickeningly, as she reached for the com-link again, frightened by how violently her fingers were trembling. The Sith behind her moved and though she was expecting it, she was still surprised at the column of red blossoming from her chest. Gaping wordlessly, she stared down at the lightsaber, wondering why it hadn't hurt more. Wondering if maybe it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

The blade extinguished and she touched at the new cavity in her chest, feeling strangely calm.

Then, quite suddenly, the strength left her. Legs buckling, she was dead before she hit the ground.

* * *

><p>The Apprentice watched the dead woman's body fall with mild disgust and couldn't help but ask himself how the Rebels had possibly gotten so far. All of them so easily broken; their lives extinguished in a blink of an eye. He understood, now, why his master wanted them to concentrate on the filth that were the Jedi and their precious Senators. Kill them and their minions would crumble. They would fall to their knees and beg for forgiveness.<p>

But he would not be merciful.

Forgiveness was for the weak and needy. He was neither.

Glancing back at the twisted doors, he moved onwards; ever drawn by the dark presence of his master.

It would not be long before the alarm was raised but there was no one here who could pose a threat to him. He took his time, striding purposefully through the corridors. Anyone in his path was quickly seen to; cut to ribbons or electrocuted to death before they could even cry out in warning.

Stepping over the smoking remains of his last victim; the Apprentice snapped the next set of doors open with an accurate sweep of Force power and descended a flight of steep stairs. The effect of his master's presence was like stepping into thick fog. It awed him and frightened him, both.

A ream of yells rose up from the darkness to warn him of their presence and, with a roar of rage, the Apprentice leapt down to greet them. In the darkness the light of the red sabers strobed across his eyes, throwing wild shadows across the room. He heard the rebels die, felt a blaster shot graze his ribs, and felt the cruel slice of his blade cut into their vitals; claiming their lives.

The rush of power was invigorating and strangely addictive.

Deactivating both blades, he raised his arms and, drawing on the Force, he carefully teased open the huge locking mechanisms that held his master contained. The intricacies of the huge device were impressive and it took him longer than he would have thought to work out its construction and manipulate the various parts into position.

His work was finally rewarded with a sharp click that resonated through the chamber and, with the Force, he pushed open the huge, circular door; so thick that it would certainly need a number of normal men to open and close it.

Two blue lights illuminated the small chamber beyond and reflected on the smooth plains of his master's armor. The heavy, slow sound of the respirator was all that filled the room and the Dark Lord lifted his head at his apprentice's arrival.

"I am here, my Master."

"You have done well." Vader's unwavering, emotionless voice put fear in him. "Now, free me of these bonds. We have much work to do."

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><p>"<em>You don't need to do this, boy."<em>

"_Need? Need! You misunderstand. I _want_ to do this. Need doesn't even enter into it."_

"_Then get on with it. I don't have all day."_

"_You seek death, Jedi?"_

"_I neither seek nor run from death. And nor should you. Fear is-__"_

"-_I fear NOTHING!"_

"_You have always been afraid."_

"_Shut up!"_

"_It's not too late, boy. You can turn away from this."_

"_SHUT UP!" He had a lightsaber in his hand now and though it was brilliant blue, it lashed out with ill intent. "I'm not listening to you anymore."_

_Kota's weary face smoothed with acceptance and even when the blade cut deep, there was nothing in his eyes but tranquillity._

_This was a death he had long been waiting for._

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><p>Galen's eyes snapped open as he jerked up in his seat, shaking and in a cold sweat.<p>

Had he fallen asleep? He didn't remember doing so and yet…that had to have been a nightmare, right? No vision could ever have shown him…him…

He swallowed thickly and looked up to see Kota's blind-eyes watching him intently. Thankfully, Juno's seat was empty – though why that was, he didn't know. All the same, he did not like the expression on the old man's face, almost as if he knew what Galen had just seen in his mind's eye.

Still slightly disorientated, he stood, leaning against the back of the empty pilot's chair as he struggled to calm his mind.

Kota had warned him that if he didn't stay calm and control his thoughts then he'd find it difficult to focus. Ha! That was easy for him to say! He wasn't haunted by these nightmares—visions—whatever they were! Kota had no idea what he was going through right now. Though…that expression said otherwise.

"What did you see, boy?"

"See?"

Kota gave him a meaningful look and Galen felt himself inwardly retreating from that stare.

"Did I miss something?" Juno asked from the doorway.

"Not as far as I'm aware." Kota replied, his eyes still on Galen.

"Good. We should be arriving soon."

Galen found his seat again and made sure to avoid Kota's gaze, mulling in silence until the ship decelerated sharply out of hyperspace. And, there, in the depths of space, loomed the huge mass of Viedas' ship. An old modified frigate called, the _Armistice._

Juno tapped into their frequency. "Captain Eclipse of the Rogue Shadow, requesting permission to land."

"Security code, please."

Juno relayed the code with smooth efficiency.

"Code checks out. Permission granted. Welcome aboard, Captain."

The sleek ship manoeuvred down to the docking bay and landed at the far end of a line of small fighters. The bay was buzzing with life; people scurrying back and forth on tasks both important and mundane. Juno joined Kota and PROXY outside of the ship and took a look around. It felt strangely good to be back on a huge, busy frigate like this; so reminiscent of the _Salvation_ that was lost to her now.

"I expect someone will come down to meet with us." Juno continued.

"Would you prefer me to stay here, Captain?" PROXY inquired.

"No. You'd best come with us. We may need you."

Kota shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I just hope Commodore Viedas has prepared his team."

"I expect Garm has contacted him already."

A familiar voice interrupted. "Indeed he has."

"Commodore Viedas!" Juno smiled over at the approaching Rodian, moving across the flight deck to greet him. "It is good to see you again."

"And you, Captain. Is it just the three of you or did you manage to keep your troublemaker a secret?" The Rodian jested; his large, round eyes casting a look between them all. The Commodore had been one of the many officers who had aided in the fight at Kamino and in the transportation of Vader; the _Armistice_ given its own set of co-ordinates to help ensure that the Dark Lord could not be tracked.

"He's here."

"Excellent. I expect we can put his talents to use, though this mission certainly seems like a long shot."

"I'd have to agree with that." Kota grumped.

"I've made all the preparations, but I understand I am to run through the details with you?"

"That's right." Juno replied, casting a look back to the ship in hopes that Galen had decided to join them. To her relief, he appeared a few moments later, dressed in a black flight suit zipped up to the base of his throat. He'd slung a utility belt around his slim waist to disguise the lightsabers amongst the pouches and tools. An intense flare of desire blossomed in her chest, taking her by surprise and putting colour in her cheeks. Coughing to hide her embarrassment, she turned from him, returning her gaze back to the green-skinned Rodian.

"If you'd like to follow me." Viedas gestured with an extended arm, turning to lead the way. Kota moved to join him and PROXY, after a slight hesitation, did as well. Galen fell into step with Juno, one hand resting possessively on the small of her back.

"I've already got a group on standby." Viedas was staying. "Ten very capable men. Dedicated. Well-trained. Their preparations are well underway so they should be ready by the time we're done here."

"Glad to hear it." Kota replied. "If this does go to plan, we'll be relying on them."

"Through here." Viedas informed, stepping aside to let them all pass by. "Take a seat everyone. Let me pull up the information on the holoscreen." He seated himself at the head of the oval table and the holographic system whirred into life, throwing an image up of their target; the XF-32.

The ship very much resembled a Star Destroyer in that it was fashioned much like an arrowhead. This ship, however, was smaller and narrower, with a sloping 'blade' above and below giving it a distinct '+' shape when viewed from the front or back. Being smaller, it was naturally more agile, which also meant it was not as well armed as its larger counterparts. However, it was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

"As you know." Viedas spoke, his distinctly accented voice breaking the momentary silence. "This ship is rumoured to be located in the skies of either Drall or Selonia. We can gather, from the intelligence, that this ship is a shell of what it could be. Unfinished and with most of its weaponry not yet installed, it's currently posing as a mere cargo ship."

The image shifted to show a basic plan of the ship's layout. "The docking bay is located on the port side of the ship. If the way is barred…you'll have to get creative. Once inside, it's more or less a straight run through. Two lifts will take you down to the lower floors, through storage and then ascending back up to the officer's quarters, the communications rooms and conference rooms and then through to the bridge." Here, the Commodore paused. "Any questions so far?"

"I'll be there to guide them through as they go." Juno added. "But you're right. The layout seems simple enough to navigate. Assuming all goes well, of course." And in her experience, nothing ever went exactly to plan. Blocked corridors, diversions and unexpected events almost always cropped up at some point on missions like this.

"You're to take to the skies of Selonia, seeing as that it our most likely target. My team will make their way to Drall."

"Sorry, can I just interrupt you there, Commodore?" Galen leaned forwards, his brow slightly furrowed. "If I may make a suggestion?"

"By all means."

"I say the most effective use of our resources would be to split Kota and me across the two teams."

"And leave you to deal with any Imperial forces alone?" The Rodian's tapering snout lifted with surprise.

"I work better alone and if the ship is in the skies of Drall, your men would not be able to advance without one of us there to lead the way."

"What do you think of this, General?"

The elderly Jedi's blind gaze was fixed on Galen. "I…think Starkiller may be right."

Juno inwardly flinched at hearing Galen's old codename. She knew it only made sense to use it with those who had no reason to know otherwise, but it brought with it a ream full of painful memories.

"I'll go with your group to Drall." Kota continued. "And team up with Starkiller and the Captain if they make contact. He won't be alone for long."

"PROXY should go with you, too." Galen continued. "He can give you intelligence from onboard in case they _are_ above Drall."

"That sounds like a fine plan, Master." The droid agreed.

"Very well, then." Viedas made to stand. "Let's go and—"

He was interrupted by the insistent beeping of a transmission. Casting them all a querying look, he accepted the link and took up his seat again.

"Senator?" Viedas sounded surprised. This wasn't a planned communication, then.

Garm's figure – from the waist up – projected onto the holographic panel. His face was twisted with both rage and despair. Behind him, muffled shouts could be heard and he turned briefly to check everything was okay.

"Senator, what's going on?"

Without thinking, Galen was on his feet, hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly it seemed it might shatter beneath his fingers.

"Are Kota and Eclipse there?" The Senator demanded.

"Yes. They're with me now. What's this all about? Has something happened?"

"This was all a mistake, Commodore. A grave mistake. Abort the mission. Do you hear me? _Abort_. It's all been a farce; a trap set up by the Imperials."

"What?" The Rodian's round eyes grew even larger.

"The base has been compromised." The Senator continued. "I don't know how they found us, but they did." He paused, shaking his head. He still appeared to be in shock. "Kota…"

"Garm?"

"Vader spoke the truth about that apprentice."

Galen paled.

"He's back and he's returned to the Dark Side – if he ever even left it in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Kota demanded, blind eyes flickering across to Galen. He looked visibly distraught, sagging at the shoulders, knuckles bone-white. Could it really be true? Could another clone have survived the attack on Kamino? He added, hastily: "That isn't possible."

"It _is_ possible, General. We have visuals. I'm sorry but…he's torn through the base and killed a number of soldiers. Kota…three of them were your men. Fell Sheen included."

Kota's expression was carefully concealed, but his voice was low and thick with barely contained shock. "And Vader?"

Garm's eyes grew darker still and then; "…He's gone. Vader's gone."

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><p><strong>To be continued…<strong>

**Closing note: Juno likes flight suits.**


	8. Mutiny

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars...**

**Note: Thanks to all my readers/reviewers/subscribers etc...! Enjoy! Thanks, also goes to my beta Liisiko!**

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><p><strong>Replies to reviewers:<strong>

**Sandd - Glad you've been enjoying it so far, and don't worry! Action is definitely the main focus of the next chapter!**

**Liisiko - Thanks for your review and your help as always!**

**Cstan - Thanks for your review, and yep you are right. It's hard to keep someone like him a secret for long. And yes, I was sad to see Boba Fett go, too. I may write a one-shot involving him at some point since his parts of the story were really enjoyable for me to put together. Thanks for your review!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 8 - Mutiny<strong>

**Location: The _Armistice _**

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><p>There was a long moment of stunned silence, the Rodian staring in disbelief at Garm's holographic image. To his left, Juno sat deathly still; her face pale and drawn. And to <em>her<em> left, Galen seemed intent on tearing a chunk out of the table, his features displaying nothing but barely restrained rage. Opposite him Kota seemed to have physically deflated; his head and shoulders bowed.

"If this rebellion is to stay alive." Garm continued. "We need to finalize preparations to move from our base. It will only be a matter of time before they descend on us."

Kota nodded reluctantly. "Very well, Senator."

"No!" Galen snapped.

Garm's expression hardened and Kota leapt from his chair, shooting Galen a warning glare.

Galen chose to ignore it: "We can't let this chance slip by! Don't you see? They still think that we're on our way. They still think we're falling into their trap. We can turn this to our advantage. General. He'll be there. I know he will."

Kota opened his mouth to respond.

Garm cut him off. "Who's that with you? General?"

Fuming, Galen stormed around the table and up next to the Rodian, leaning in close. "You listen to me, _Senator_, that Starkiller who helped Vader escape was _not_ me. Do you understand that? He's an imposter."

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Take a good look and ask yourself; how can I be in two places at once? That…that _thing_ that helped Vader escape. It wasn't me."

"Calm down, boy." Kota warned.

"You knew about this all along, General?" Garm hissed. "All of you? You knew Starkiller was alive? That there might have been an attack on our base?"

There was another brief silence.

"We didn't know everything, Senator. If we had, we wouldn't have left." Kota reasoned.

"You've not heard the last of this. I suggest you all return here at once. You have a lot of explaining to do. Do you hear me? Return to base." The image flicked off and Galen's angry gaze lashed across the room.

"So…" Viedas murmured. "What happens next?"

Kota groaned, rubbing at his temples. "I'm too old for all this."

"How could this have happened?" Galen hissed at Kota. "Did you know about this?"

"Of course not. I was certain they were all killed."

Galen's hands slammed down against the table. "We need to continue the mission, General." He raged. "If we let this chance go, we won't find them again until they're attacking and by then it'll be too late. If we go back now, what do you think is going to happen? You think they'll hear me out? Trust me?" He turned and paced. "Why didn't I see this coming? I _should_ have seen this coming."

"Boy, calm down."

"This is my fault! I can't just stand by and let it happen again." He headed for the door, turning to look between them all. "You can go back if you want but I won't be going with you."

"I'm with you, Master." PROXY replied almost instantly, moving across to the doorway.

Galen's eyes grazed across Juno's face. She still sat silently, staring at where Garm's holographic image had just been. An indescribable pain flared in his chest and, clutching at it – as if a physical wound – he departed.

Only when he was gone did Juno snap from her stupor. Her expression was deeply pained and she sought some comfort from the old Jedi's face. She found little there.

"What shall we do, Kota?" Her voice was strangely hoarse.

"For all that he's being a fool, he's right. That apprentice of Vader's will most likely be waiting there for him. If we want to end this, we need to head to that ship. Besides, I don't see how we can change his mind, and in truth, the thought of going back now doesn't sit well with me."

She gave a short sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear you say that."

"So we're still going ahead, then?" Viedas asked.

"Yes." Kota stood. "If you'd prefer to be left out of this, Commodore, you can leave your men here."

"No. Take them with you. They've already been given their orders anyhow."

Kota bowed his head with thanks. "I'll go make the preparations, then." He swept from the room, leaving Juno behind.

The Rodian moved to set a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure about this?" He asked gently. "Those Jedi are risking a lot by continuing on after being told to stand down. You must understand, Juno, that if they do this. If they ignore orders…it's unlikely they'll be called upon again by the Alliance."

"If the Rebels can't see what they're trying to do." Juno replied sadly. "Then perhaps they no longer deserve their aid. Those Jedi…they've given everything for this Alliance." She gave Viedas a sad smile. "If we do this and succeed, perhaps it'll gain Ga—Starkiller the trust he deserves. It's a risk I'm willing to take."

She stood and turned to face him. "Besides, you've committed men to this cause. Aren't you worried the Senators will see that as mutiny?"

The Rodian gave a short sound of amusement. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

She gave him a slight smile.

Then another transmission came through.

"Probably Garm." She replied quietly. "I'll…leave you to it."

She turned to leave and was almost to the door when Viedas accepted the link.

"Princess Organa." He greeted with some surprise. "This is…unexpected."

Juno paused.

"Are you alone, Commodore?" Leia's calm voice was strangely soothing.

"Not quite."

"Kota?"

"It's Juno, Princess." The blonde-haired pilot turned back. "I was just leaving."

"I'd rather you stayed, if you don't mind. It was you I wanted to speak with."

A flood of guilt ran cold through Juno's veins. No doubt this would be about her misleading debrief and how she'd purposely left out important details on the mission. "Of…of course." She moved back around the table, coming to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Viedas.

"Juno…"

"Don't say anything, Princess. I…I could apologize but I wouldn't mean a word of it. I was going to tell you everything as soon as we had reason to believe you would have trusted him."

"The clones on Kamino were Starkiller's."

"Yes."

"And the one who is with you now? He's a clone, too?"

"We don't…" She bit back the uncertainty. They would probably never be completely certain, but in all likelihood… "Yes. Yes he is."

"How many more clones are there?"

"Until just a moment ago, we believed there was only the one. The one with us. Now…I couldn't say."

"Juno…" The young woman's face softened with sad understanding. "I know how hard this must be for you. I know how you feel for him."

"I love him." Juno confirmed without hesitation, taking a sharp breath that had her shoulders drawing up.

"But you have to understand. I don't mean to be cruel, but that clone is not the man you once loved. Going down that path will only bring you greater heartache."

"Then what do you suggest I do? Abandon him? He is the Starkiller who turned to the light. He is the Starkiller who risked his life to protect your father and the others."

"He died to protect them." Leia reminded softly.

"And now he's back."

"Juno…"

"We're not returning to base, Princess. Not yet, anyway."

"Do you understand what this means, Juno?"

"Yes."

"Do you really? I'm not just talking about going against the Senators. This path could put you all in very grave danger. If I can't persuade you, please, just keep a close eye on him. He could be more dangerous than you think."

"We're going ahead to the XF-32, Princess. We'll make sure the clone that attacked the base is brought to justice."

"And then?"

"I think that's up to you and the Senators."

Leia's face was stoic.

"Goodbye, Leia."

And with tears burning in her eyes, Juno hastened from the room, pausing in the corridor to gather her wits about her. The last thing she wanted was for Galen to pick up on her emotions, especially when he was probably feeling vulnerable himself.

* * *

><p>She stepped back onto the docking bay to find Kota speaking with a group of armed soldiers, armor emblazoned with the sign of the Alliance. The ship they were to take sat just beyond them, its engines whirring with life.<p>

PROXY, who was standing at Kota's side, was demonstrating his ability to disguise himself to the small group.

Galen was nowhere in sight.

Steeling herself, she crossed the open expanse of the deck, her feet ringing against the metal grid as she made for the _Rogue Shadow_. She found him – as she knew she would – standing in the training room as if he wasn't quite sure why he was there. She crossed the room and, without a word, folded her arms around his slim waist, hugging herself up against the curve of his back, her head resting between his shoulder blades. She felt a shudder run through him and tightened her arms a little more.

"Why didn't I foresee this?" He asked.

"You can't predict everything. No one could have suspected this."

"What? That Vader would lie? He _always_ lies. He told me there had been no successful clones. He told me they all went mad."

Juno loosened her arms and turned him to face her. His brown eyes were troubled and darkened with emotion. With one hand, she reached up to stroke his cheek. "We've made the right decision to carry out this mission."

"But what about you?" His voice was soft.

"Me?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"One hundred percent."

"But…what if nothing comes of this? What if the Senators decide I'm not worth the risk to be considered an ally?" He lowered his voice further and said, softly: "What if I have you leaving another life behind?"

She blinked back a sudden burst of tears, shaking her head in an attempt to dispel them. "The only life I want is one that has you in it."

He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers; rekindling the sweet memory of their miraculous reunion on Kamino.

"Sorry to interrupt, Master, but General Kota is ready to set off. He's quite eager." PROXY announced from the doorway. "Am I still to go with him?"

"That's right." Galen lifted his head to look across at the droid. "Keep him safe, PROXY."

"Master?"

"Don't ask questions. Just do it. He'll need you watching his back."

"Very well." The droid exited the room and Galen, taking Juno by the hand, led them back out onto the docking bay. His grip on her fingers was tight, as if he were worried she might escape him.

"We're ready to go." Kota informed, reaching out to clap Galen on the shoulder. "How about you, boy?"

"We'll be right behind you."

"Good. And don't do anything foolish, do you hear? We need this to succeed. If not, we'll be going back to the Alliance empty-handed and I'm telling you now; that will not go down well."

"I'll play my part."

"Just make sure you do."

"Take care, General." Juno smiled, briefly grasping the gruff man by the elbow. He gave her a coarse smile and waved her away.

"Off with you. The _Rogue Shadow_ won't prepare herself."

She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Safe flying."

Galen turned to follow her but the General halted him with a hand on his shoulder. His face was solemn. "Whatever you saw in that vision of yours, boy, don't let it cloud your judgment."

"I know what I'm doing." He replied sternly, freeing himself and moving back towards the ship.

"I hope so." Kota growled, watching the younger man trudge off. "I damn well hope so."

* * *

><p>"What are your next orders, my Master?" The Apprentice bowed low before Vader; arm resting across a bent knee, head lowered and eyes closed.<p>

The damage on Vader's suit was extensive but nothing that he couldn't put up with for a time. He sat back in his chair, his arms stretched across the rests. "The plan has not changed. The General and the failed clone are moving into our trap as we speak. You must ensure that you are there to deal with them. Failure in this is not an option."

"Understood, my Master."

"Leave no one there alive."

"Yes, Master." The Sith complied. "It is as good as done." He moved to stand but halted half-way as his master spoke again.

"And one last thing. Once you have completed your task, ensure that the bounty hunter returns here to me. I will need information on the Rebel base before he receives his payment."

Bowing in acknowledgment of his orders, the Apprentice rose to full height and took his leave.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	9. Adamant

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Lights, Camera, ACTION! Thanks again to readers/subscribers/reviewers and the like and also to Liisiko for being an awesome beta as always.**

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><p><strong>Replies to reviewers:<strong>

**From Pen to Paper - I'm glad you enjoyed the last couple of updates. I really enjoyed writing that scene between Leia and Juno, though it did go through some huge editing before I was happy with it. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope this chapter is just as enjoyable.**

**Liisiko - Thanks for adding to favourites! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your support and time, as always!**

**Psilome - Yay! Welcome, welcome! Always nice to meet another fan of this pairing! It has a rather small following, which is both surprising and sad, but there are definitely some dedicated fans here who write some pretty neat stuff. I'm currently updating this story on a weekly basis (every Saturday) unless I put up a note saying otherwise. This schedule should continue for the next few weeks though. Thanks for your review and glad you are enjoying it.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 9 - Adamant<strong>

**Location: The _Rogue Shadow_ / The XF-32**

* * *

><p>Galen spent much of the journey meditating in the co-pilot's chair; attempting to regain some of that lost focus. The moment of calm allowed him to sort through the chaotic tangle in his mind. And though he was still angry, he could feel the storm in his head begin to quieten.<p>

Having Juno there, close by, seemed to work wonders.

Her faith and trust in him was a pillar of strength he could rely on even during times where he thought his whole life might just crumble apart through his fingers. He could recall the softness of her touch as she held him, her body pressed against his back. Even now he could sense the occasional glances that she threw his way. Strangely, she didn't seem to be worried anymore. Not as much as she had been, anyway. Maybe it was because, this time, she was choosing to leave something behind rather than being forced into it as she had before. Perhaps that was enough to keep the concerns at bay. Her glances, instead of being driven by worry, were driven by something warmer. Affection, perhaps, or something akin to it, at least.

Opening his eyes, he sat up and caught her gaze. She offered him a shy sort of smile before turning back to the viewport.

"Welcome back."

"I never went anywhere." He replied; sitting forwards in his seat. Rolling his shoulders, he unzipped the top half of his flight suit and shrugged out of the arms, tying them around his waist, revealing the plain blue shirt underneath.

"You were deep in thought." She gave him a small smile. "Anyway, look there." She lifted her head and, in the viewport, the shape of a planet filled the star-studded sky; blue-purple and marbled with clouds. "Selonia."

"Now comes the hard part, though." Galen pointed out.

"Boring part." She corrected. "Maybe we can ask around at the nearest starport. They may have had a ship register or recall seeing one of that description. After all, it does stand out in a crowd."

"Doubtful. I don't think they'll want their presence known."

The _Rogue Shadow_ edged down through space, winding through traffic traversing to and from the neighboring planets. Selonians were known for their lack of adventure, their hyperdrive-forsaken ships symbols of this. Here and there, a number of Correllian and Selonian shuttles skimmed leisurely through the airspace of the ocean planet.

Juno sighed. "What are the odds of you sensing the other clone from way out here?"

"Unless he purposely makes himself known, that's unlikely to happen."

"Well, if this is a trap, maybe he will?"

"He might not even be here yet." Galen pointed out. "In the time we took traveling to Viedas' ship and then coming here, he's had to have broken in and out of the Rebel base, taken Vader somewhere safe – likely the _Executor_ – and then made the jump here. The only advantage he has is that he'll know where the ship is."

Juno chewed at her bottom lip in thought. "I think we're in the wrong place. After all, if this really is a trap for you then they won't want any interference from outsiders. That clone may be strong, but against you, Kota and his troops - as well as anyone who sees fit to get involved - it would go very badly for him."

"As good a theory as any, I suppose."

Juno abruptly accelerated out from her original path, engaging the thrusters as she moved away from the lines of space traffic, orbiting away from the spaceports to empty sky space. "PROXY can—oh." She realized, suddenly, that the droid was absent and, embarrassed, turned a pleading look across at her co-pilot. "Since you _are_ actually capable of operating this ship, do you mind helping out for a bit?"

"You always were better at flying."

She arched a brow and pointed at the console across from him.

Rolling his eyes, he shifted the chair forwards on its runner and brought himself closer to the screens. "What do you need me to do?

"Watch the fuel lines and the engine temperature. We could be doing this for a while. Oh, and hit the blue switch. That's it. Okay, that activates the display which will give you data from the sensor array."

"Hey, I have flown this ship solo before, you know."

"Which means you would have been seated over here." Juno pointed out, grinning smugly at him.

"Okay, okay, you've made your point." He scanned through the data only to confirm one thing: they were very much alone.

"Juno? Do you copy?" Kota's voice crackled over the com-channel.

"We're here, Kota. Any luck so far?"

"Nothing. I take it you've not come across the ship yet, either?"

"No. We've decided to head away from the busy starport areas and track across to emptier airspace. If they want to keep this ship a secret, I doubt it would have come via the normal routes."

"Our thinking exactly. Keep the channel open. We'll alert you if we see anything."

"Likewise."

Juno's eyes slipped back across to Galen and she gave a small sigh of disappointment. They were finally alone together but unable to make use of that time. A brief moment of distraction could quickly become a huge problem.

"Do you think this will ever end?" She asked, her eyes drifting out across the darkness. "All the fighting and the pain? It seems to me that this galaxy can't exist without war."

"War is inevitable." Galen replied slowly. "If this war ever ends, another will follow."

"In our lifetime?"

Galen gave a short laugh, though it wasn't particularly pleasant. "That depends on how long we live. For all we know, our 'lifetime' could come to an end today."

She frowned. "You don't believe that."

"…No. I don't."

"I can't ever see an end to this war." Juno admitted then. "It just seems to me that without the Jedi to aid them, the Alliance would fall apart. It's like you and Kota are the driving force behind it all; pushing and insisting until they give in and agree. Yet, despite that fact, they seemed determined to keep you out of their way. First they wanted Kota away from the base whilst they interrogated Vader and now they want you both to go back instead of grabbing at the opportunity to prolong their safety on Dantooine."

"They need to be in control." Galen replied. "We do things that takes that control away. We're like…rebellious children showing their parents up."

Juno threw him a crooked smile. "Good analogy."

"What do you think? Would they trust me again?"

The question seemed to take her by surprise and she was silent a long moment, mulling over the answer. "Before speaking with Garm and Leia I would have said yes. But, honestly, I'm not sure anymore. Even Kota – with his track record of carrying out successful secret missions – is starting to rile them. But…they need you. Both of you. Surely they can see that?"

"We also bring them problems that they'd be better off without."

"Maybe if they get a chance to talk with you, they'll see that you are the Starkiller they knew and not some monster they've created in their own minds."

"Is that what Leia called me?"

She sighed. "Not in so many words."

The channel buzzed with life again. "Juno, we're picking up movement on our sensors. We're closing in on the target."

* * *

><p>The abandoned project known by the Rebels as the XF-32 floated through space with all the grace and speed of a dying whale. Powered down, it seemed strangely small and meek, barely a light dimpling its surface. However, at the impending arrival of <em>Slave I<em> the ship would power up and announce its presence to all those nearby; namely one of the search ships out looking for it.

Boba Fett guided his _Firespray_-class stealth ship down towards the landing bay – left open because there were no shields currently operating on it – and brought the ship gently down to rest on its base. Beside him, the Apprentice stood and motioned for the ramp to be lowered.

"Come with me."

"I work for your master. Not for you." The Bounty Hunter replied coldly.

"And my Master wishes for you to hand over the information you'll be getting paid for."

"I know my contract."

The Apprentice seemed not to care that he was angering the infamous Boba Fett, though perhaps he should have been. After all, the hunter's reputation was nothing to be sneered at.

"Then you'll have no issue with sharing it with me." The Apprentice replied.

Boba, gritting his teeth, activated the loading ramp and felt the rush of cool air from outside. "Wait for me on the landing deck. I still need to lockdown the ship."

The Apprentice's brows lowered over his eyes. "No."

Boba was not surprised at the answer, but it did anger him. His trust in the Apprentice had been zero to begin with, but since their 'teaming up' on Kamino, he had seen nothing to convince him that this clone was in any way reliable or 'safe'. In fact, his condition seemed to be steadily worsening; his low mumbling now more common than silence. None of what he said made sense to the bounty hunter, but it was as if he were caught in a dream world, seeing things that weren't real. Experiencing things that he shouldn't be.

Here and now, Boba Fett had two options. Stay with the clone until he was finished with his mission and risk being attacked if his mental state continued to deteriorate. Or, make an escape whilst he still could. Both came with risks; the former risking his life and the latter risking his well-earned credits.

It was a surprisingly hard choice for the bounty hunter to make.

"I could crush you where you stand." The Apprentice hissed, clearly not content with being ignored.

"I wouldn't suggest trying. Think that master of yours would be happy if you killed the only one who has the information he needs?"

_That_ caused the clone to falter.

"Now." Boba's tone was firm and deadly. "I need to lockdown the ship."

The clone's hand shook above the hilt of his saber, the other clenched at his side.

This was a dangerous game Boba was playing. Perhaps a little too dangerous, even for him. So, what was it to be, then? In the time it took for him to make his decision, the clone had turned and moved down out of the ship.

Escape it was, then. He'd contact Vader once he'd made his jump and organise transferring the data directly. Maybe he could have his life and his credits if the Dark Lord was content with the data he'd send his way.

But how to make a get-away? He could start up the _Slave I_, speed back out into space and hope that the clone was unable to use his Force powers to bring him back. Or…Boba could render him momentarily unable to use his abilities and then progress to make a safe get away. Both options came with risks, but the calculated odds were leaning in favor of the latter.

Setting the ship onto standby, the hunter rose from his seat and stepped across to the ramp, keeping quiet as he advanced. Gloved fingers brushed against one of the many weapons hidden about his person and, with as much cold calculation as the Sith Apprentice himself, he moved in for the strike.

By the time the Apprentice turned, it was too late. The fibercord whip lashed around him, immediately restricting as it cinched his arms in tightly at his sides. Boba spared only a split second to ensure that his plan had worked before tearing back up into the ship; pushing the accelerator to the maximum. The ship jerked out of its sleep and roared forwards into space.

Down on the XF-32, the Apprentice struggled free from his bonds, seething with rage as Fett's ship surged into hyperspace. Now, not only was he stranded; he also had no information to pass onto his master. An uncontrollable twist of fear and anger coiled in his gut and he slammed a fist down against a plasteel container; splitting his knuckles. After all, what use was he, if he couldn't complete the tasks assigned to him? The answer was simple enough: no use at all.

"He'll kill you." He confirmed out loud. "And then what? Would you fight or would you accept punishment? To fail is to be inferior. You…cannot be inferior." He blinked, casting a look back out across the bay. From across the stretch of space, he felt the touch of another.

"You are…close."

Without warning, a spearing pain sent him buckling to his knees; hands clamping against his head as he hissed through his teeth. He retched; the pain bringing nausea. The unnatural yellow eyes bulged in their sockets; his vision marred by white lights. However, despite the pain, his mouth contorted into a wild smirk, partnered with a short bout of irregular laughter.

"I've seen your death." He declared. "And it will be glorious."

* * *

><p>"Sorry, false alarm." Kota growled. "Anything on your side?"<p>

"Nothing." Juno replied.

"No. Wait." Galen lifted himself up from his chair, leaning into the console as he extended his senses out across the darkness. "There's—there's something there."

"But there's nothing being picked up by the sensors." The words were barely out of her mouth when the data on the display changed dramatically. She, too, rose up out of her seat and leaned forwards. The ship was barely a smudge against the dark, but if it was not the ship they were after, what could it be?

"Kota. We've made contact." She reported, certain they had found it.

"Let's go." Galen groped for the accelerator and thrust the paddle forwards.

"Now wait a minute, boy. Don't go doing anything hasty. Hang back and wait for us to get there. You don't know what you're running into."

"Sorry, General. This can't wait."

"For once in your life, will you just listen to reason? Juno, send us your coordinates."

"No. I mean it, Kota. Just stay away. Look, there's no time to explain. I need you to trust me on this. It's for the best." He reached for Juno and grabbed her by the wrist, preventing her from continuing.

"Galen? What are you doing?" Worry and fear flashed across her eyes and he immediately withdrew his grip.

"Just trust me. _Don't_ send him the coordinates."

"Not until you tell me why."

"If this is about that vision of yours, boy, then put it out of mind." Kota continued.

"I can't _do_ that!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Galen felt the last threads of his patience unraveling. "I saw you die." The words burst from him like blaster fire. "If you step on that ship, you won't be getting off."

Juno's horrified expression and Kota's prolonged silence spoke volumes and after a moment he turned back to watch as they drew closer to the ship.

"Don't let those visions cloud your judgment." Kota finally spoke. "Haven't I already told you that?"

"Keep repeating yourself, old man, but it won't help. This will be easier if I only have myself to worry about." He turned his gaze back to Juno. "Navigate down to the port side. Don't land. I'll jump down and you can retreat back to a safe range."

"Are you sure about this?" She demanded. "Because I'm really not."

He was shrugging back into the arms of his flight suit. "This is the only way."

"It is _not_ the only way." Kota interjected gruffly.

"We're not discussing this anymore."

"You're making a mistake, boy!"

But Galen was not going to be provoked any further. The XF-32 loomed in towards them, dwarfing the _Rogue Shadow_ as the ship moved up alongside it. "Shields are down. We're ready to make our move." Juno replied hesitantly, keeping the channel open for Kota's sake.

"Remember. Keep your distance." Galen dropped a kiss to the top of her head and moved down to the loading bay. Juno, so focused on the task at hand, didn't have the opportunity to turn and see him go. She eased off the throttle and dipped down through the barrier, swinging sharply so as to make a clear pass without clipping the ship's wings.

Trusting that Galen had been quick enough to leap out at the opportune moment, she turned back on her course and powered back to the safety of open space, the XF-32 dwindling behind her once more. Her heart hammered.

"He's down."

"Send me the co-ordinates, Juno." Kota demanded.

"I-I can't."

"Yes you can!"

"No. I can't. He won't forgive me if I do that."

"And will you forgive yourself if something goes wrong?" It was a horrible thing to say and it tore Juno up inside. She didn't know how to respond, so she opted to huddle in the safety of silence.

And then, when it was clear she wasn't going to respond, he added: "Stay vigilant, then. Even if we're aware of it, he's still walking into a trap."

"I will." She replied softly. "And if he gets into trouble, I'll send the coordinates to you."

"I have a feeling it'll be too late by then."

* * *

><p>"I'm in." Starkiller murmured across the com-link, stepping through the automatic doors that led him through into a narrow corridor being manned by a group of seven stormtroopers. Their weapons went up in an instant and the twin sabers flared in his hands as he defended himself from a barrage of blaster fire; deflecting the shots back at them to scatter their forces.<p>

Shifting his balance, he kicked off from the ground and powered towards them; grabbing the first and using his body as a shield to get himself close enough to the others without risking a stray shot landing a hit. Shoving aside the dead (or dying) stormtrooper, he pivoted to dodge the next flurry of fire and back-flipped out of harm's way. Yet, despite the show, it took less than a few seconds for the troupe to be cut down; all decapitated or dying from the shock and pain of missing limbs.

Distantly, an alarm sounded, and Galen prepared himself for a long and tiring journey ahead. That alone would give his nemesis the advantage. After all, he would be well-rested and fresh; awaiting Galen's arrival. He'd have to be careful to conserve as much energy as possible and not risk injury with his typical spontaneous stunts.

But, he told himself, this would be no different from the times before. When his original self had defeated Kazdan Paratus on Raxus Prime or the Master Jedi, Shaak Ti, on Felucia. The original Galen had overcome each challenge and so would he, no matter what happened.

"You've set off the security alarms." Juno pointed out.

"I know." Galen replied; bracing himself as the far doors slid wide open and more stormtroopers piled in. These ones, however, were not alone. Leading them into battle, side-by-side was a Royal Guard and a Shadow Guard; their robes contrasting richly with the dull colors around them. Cloaked and silent, they halted their troupe and waited for Galen to make his move. Giving the room a quick once-over with his eyes, Galen extinguished one blade and clipped it back onto the belt of his flight suit. Spinning the other experimentally in his right, he flexed the fingers of his free hand and shifted his feet to balance his weight. The ship groaned, as if sensing the impending fight, and in that moment Galen struck.

Bringing his right shoulder forwards, he shifted the blade into motion to protect himself from the Shadow Guard's initial attack. The lancing Sith Lightning reflected off of Galen's saber; spinning with the speed and power of a turbine. The Lightning fizzled out with a harmless hiss, leaving Galen free to counter. Shifting his stance, Galen swung forwards with his free hand, intent on bringing the large overhead panel down onto his enemies. The panel creaked as he pulled it away from its bolts and brought it down with a sharp downward tug. It fell free, crushing a number of stormtroopers and freeing his concentration just in time to parry the Royal Guard's first assault.

The two highly-trained warriors tried to flank him; the Royal Guard swinging his vibrosword with startling skill. The Shadow Guard's initial jab almost caught Galen in the pit of his arm – a move that could have made things very difficult if successful. Ducking out of harm's way, Galen kept them at bay with a bolt of lightning, gathering his wits, and then moving back in to continue the fight; reigniting his second saber.

With an array of precise and perfectly-executed attacks and parries, Galen lost himself in the motion of his duel lightsabers, glad for the skill that enabled him to keep both warriors at bay simultaneously.

Finally managing to knock aside the Royal Guard with a blast of Force energy, Galen turned his attention onto the black-caped attacker. One-on-one, it took only a few moments for him to gain the upper-hand, taking control of the duel with a few masterful twists of his blades. The Shadow Guard fought now with rising desperation, lashing out with his pike-styled lightsaber. It would be to no avail. One such attack saw the weapon caught against both of Galen's sabers. The intensity of the heat and the pressure as to which the blades were applied overcame. The handle of the pike melted in two; the weapon dropping uselessly to the ground.

Galen finished the duel; stabbing the guard through the chest and then dragging his body around to fling at the unsuspecting Royal Guard.

The red-caped warrior struck a diagonal blow across his former colleague, cutting him clean in half with his vibrosword, dotting the floor with thick splatters of blood. The body twitched grotesquely on the floor as the warrior stepped over the remains.

The com-link crackled: "Galen, there's something happening."

"Not now, Juno. I'm a—" He paused to block the Royal Guard's fierce string of attacks. "—Little busy here."

Without warning, the floor pitched beneath his feet, sending him staggering backwards against the far wall. The Royal Guard, equally caught by surprise, stumbled after him, loosing his footing and falling face forward. Without meaning to, the blade of Galen's saber pierced through the caped one's throat. For a moment, a sickening gurgling sound uttered from his gaping mouth.

Then nothing.

"Juno? What was that?"

Extinguishing the blade, the guard flopped lifelessly to the grate below him.

"That's what I was trying to tell you."

"Well, I'm listening now." He edged up the corridor and, nudging aside the fallen panels and dead stormtroopers, stepped through the doors from which the enemies had come. Everything was oddly quiet.

"The ship. It's moving erratically."

"It's him. It must be him. Has he got surveillance?"

"I'd say so. Yes."

Gritting his teeth, he moved slowly up the corridor, giving himself some time to replenish his energy. "Is there no direct path straight through to the bridge?"

"Unfortunately not. Much of the structure is still incomplete and the fastest way up to the bridge is the way that Viedas gave us.

"I'd better get going, then." Hastening his step, he entered the large, rectangular lift and felt the jolt of its motion through his feet. After just a moment, the sound of screeching metal rang with stabbing pain in his ears. The lift shuddered, faltering like a wounded beast, then stopped altogether; the buzz of power crackling somewhere above him.

The lights blinked out, throwing him into complete darkness.

Perfect.

The glare of the blue lightsaber in the pitch black was so intense that he had to shield his eyes as he lanced downwards, forcing the blade through metal until he felt the give of it making through to the other side. Then, with teeth clenched, he began to carve himself an escape route, the shrill scream of the saber almost unbearable in the contained, echoing space.

Then, with the way out carved, he slammed a foot down and knocked the separated chunk out of the way; wincing at the tremendous clattering sound it made as it fell. Remaining inconspicuous had never been his style…

With a quick glance, he dropped through the hole and plummeted down into the dark, using nothing but his connection to the Force to guide him.

It was only when he'd grasped the lip of the doorway and prised it open with the Force, that he began to wonder how he was going to get back to the loading bay. After all, freefalling was far easier than climbing back up all that way. He'd have to find another exit. Perhaps tear a hole in a viewport?

Bracing himself with a forearm, he dug the toes of his boots into the wall and pushed himself up; determined to gain his bearings before attracting any unwanted attention.

He was too late, however, for in the next moment, a cold metal hand gripped him around the neck and dragged him up through the warped doorway.

Galen was only mildly surprised to find himself looking into the 'face' of a Purge Trooper.

Its fingers constricted tightly around his throat, squeezing the air from his lungs as his legs flailed helplessly beneath him. More on reflex than with any actual thought, Galen brought up a hand and let loose a blast of Sith Lightning to fry the tough droid's circuits. The attack – whilst effective – meant that the electricity streamed back through the Purge Trooper's arms and through Galen; momentarily stunning him.

The jarring pain of his knees making contact with the ground was enough to stir him back to reality, the sabers flaring in his palms as he rose to his feet; arms extended to catch the trooper and send it reeling. Unfortunately, it too made a quick recovery, swiping out with one of its devastating arms. Just barely able to dodge, Galen tumbled across the floor, regained his feet, and pounced in for the kill.

With a neat series of attacks, the Purge Trooper powered down, and Galen cut the head from its shoulders to ensure it never powered back up.

Then, in the aftermath of the battle – rubbing at his bruised throat – he realized he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"Uh, Juno. A little help, please?"

"You're in engineering. What happened?"

"The lift broke."

"Is that to say that you broke it?"

"No. It just stopped on the way down. This ship is falling apart."

"It has to have been an abandoned prototype." There was a brief pause. "Okay, the storage deck is one level below you. There should be a large hatch from the engineering level that goes directly down into the main storage bay. It's quite a drop, but nothing you can't handle, I'm sure."

Juno's transmission was interrupted by a teeth-rattling explosion and, within seconds, more troops flooded into the engineering bay, followed by two ungainly but powerful AT-STs. The chatter of their laser cannons tore into the floor panels, drawing a jagged line up to Galen's position. Unfortunately, between Galen and the armored transports was a seething horde of stormtroopers and a pair of Saber Guards. It would not have been exaggerating to say that they were becoming rather insistent on battle. Perhaps spurred on by the blaring intruder alarm?

Deflecting the laser fire with the use of both twirling blades, he dropped back into a defensive posture and waited for his enemies to come to him.

The Saber Guards – predictably – were on him first, slashing with wild but precise motions. Their white-colored sabers were more slender than a typical Jedi weapon, but just as deadly.

A swell of heat, accompanied by an incredible roaring sound, interrupted their fight, sending all three of them sprawling across the floor. One of the AT-STs had launched a missile; the floor yawning wide under the impact. Galen's hearing muffled, blocking out even the sound of the huge Walkers drawing closer; scattering the stormtroopers as they went.

Deflecting blaster fire with a shield of Force energy, Galen picked himself up; shaking his head to rid himself of the disorientation. Around him, the Saber Guards were getting back to their feet, too.

With a growl of growing frustration, Galen pulled the energy of the Force into himself, drawing it tight and close. Then – as if releasing an arrow from a bow – the explosion of that devastating energy undulated outwards; turning the air to rippling, blue heat and throwing every single trooper to the ground. Most didn't get up – including one of the Saber Guards – but the AT-STs had managed to keep their footing, readjusting their devastating weaponry to fire on him.

Launching himself up and out of harm's way, Galen slid behind cover, reaching out with the Force to rip a half-built furnace from the ground. With barely enough time to judge the throw, he thrust it across at the closest AT-ST and gave a smirk of victory when it made connection. The Armored Transport's gangly legs buckled and collapsed; tipping backwards before bursting into flame.

Then, extinguishing the sabers, he back-flipped towards the huge transparisteel windows and, with a charged blast of Force power, smashed it to pieces. The vacuum of air sucked stormtroopers -both dead and alive- out into open space, the Saber Guard joining them before the safety screen dropped into place, restoring air and gravity.

The other AT-ST limped onwards, firing another missile that sent Galen flying across the room. Lying on his back, he reached up again, attempting to twist the firing mechanisms until they became unusable.

Again, without warning, the ship lurched sharply to the side, throwing Galen against the wall where he was almost crushed by huge objects that hadn't been fixed down to the floor. The AT-ST stumbled and tripped, its laser cannon cracking devastatingly through the room.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to stop me!" Galen yelled, hoping that the other clone could hear him. Hoping that he was afraid.

Keeping out of the firing range, Galen made his way back over to the gaping hole in the floor, coils of smoke still rising from the blasted edges.

He knelt down and peered into the smoky gloom below. "Juno, what lies directly beneath the room I'm in?"

"One of the smaller storage bays. Probably empty."

With a nod, Galen stepped over the edge and dropped thirty feet, landing with an almost effortless grace.

The room had an incredible view out to space, the clear transparisteel allowing for a sweeping panorama of the planet below them. It seemed closer now but perhaps that was his imagination.

"Careful! The ship's tilting again."

He felt the shift in the floor beneath him and adjusted his stance to keep himself from losing balance. Behind him, huge crates began to slide, forcing him to leap sideways out of their way. Only when it was too late did he realize the intention.

The crates gained momentum, sliding faster as the deck angled, smashing through the transparisteel as if it were nothing. Galen felt himself being hefted off of his feet and tumbled against the floor to hook his fingers into the grooves; keeping himself from being dragged to his death.

The barrier came down and he was deposited back on the floor as the ship straightened its path.

"That's it." He hissed. "Use up your energy. It'll make things easier for when I get there."

Picking himself up off of the floor, he stalked to the far side of the room and through the automatic, sliding doors. In the time it took him to take two steps into the room, three red beams tracked across the floor to settle on him.

The sudden jolt of realization had him jerking back into cover just as the first of the sniper rounds were set loose, leaving horrifying indentations in the wall he had just been standing next to.

With a lengthy growl of frustration, he peered around the edge of the wall to spy one of the three snipers waiting to take him out. Then, extending out across the nothingness, he drew the Force tightly around his attacker's unsuspecting form and plucked him from his post, sending him hurtling into the floor with the sound of broken bones and crushed armor.

One down…two more to go.

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><p>"The bridge is…"<p>

"Right through there. I know. I can feel his presence."

"Galen. I really don't like this. The last time I felt like this was…"

"I know." He soothed, recalling her words to him on the Death Star, just before their first kiss. His memory of that moment was so vivid that sometimes he could almost dare to believe he was not a mere copy of the man who had lived that memory. It didn't seem possible that those recollections could be anything but something he had experienced first-hand. "I won't let it end the same way."

"I…" Her voice caught in her throat.

"I know. Me, too." He touched at the lightsabers sheathed at his hip. "Be ready to pick me up when this is done."

"I'll be there."

Galen drew in a slow, deep breath and closed his eyes; seeking that envelope of peace and focus that Kota had been trying to remind him of, before. He recalled, once more, the passive face of Shaak Ti as they had fought all that time ago. If he could just keep his emotions leashed during this battle, then he would have no reason to fear or doubt.

Opening his eyes, he stepped out across the narrow walkway leading to the bridge and prepared himself for the inevitable encounter with his 'brother'.

The doors swung open to reveal a tapering room, many of its consoles dark and non-functional.

Sitting at the very head of the bridge, in a high-backed chair, was the other clone. The bodies of the pilot and his co-pilot lay bleeding on the floor, though why the clone had killed them Galen didn't know.

Slowly – as if to prove his confidence – Vader's new apprentice drew himself up onto his feet and turned to make eye contact with his fellow clone.

Galen felt a surge of disgust and horror to see his own visage on another, and to see it so twisted by the dark side. The skin was deathly pale, as if all of the life's blood had been drawn from it. The thin lips were tinged a strange shade of grey. Yet, of everything, it was the eyes that were the most disturbing alteration. They were yellow and so piercing that they seemed to make the face even more ashen.

Galen snatched for the calm focus and held it close.

"Ah, there you are. I've been wondering how long it would take for you to arrive." The face – emotionless as stone – held a wild, maddened fire in those inhuman eyes.

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><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	10. Duel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Thanks again to readers/subscribers/reviewers etc...and to Liisiko for helping me so much with this chapter! Couldn't have done it without you!**

**Also, on a semi-unrelated note. Do any of you guys hang out at the 'Star Wars Legacies' rp place? If so, ping me a private message! I'm new there and would like to hear from you! Anyhoo, here's the showdown chapter you've been waiting for.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 10 - Duel<strong>

**Location: The XF-32**

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><p>Galen dropped instantly into a defensive stance; the whirr of active lightsabers balanced and ready in each hand.<p>

"A little jumpy, aren't we?" The clone descended the three wide steps to join Galen on his level.

Twisting the sabers into his favored reverse-grip, Galen spread his feet a little wider and readied himself. The strength of the Dark Side filled the cabin, pulsing from the clone with unrestrained abandon. He was clearly trying to intimidate his foe into making mistakes.

Galen would ensure that strategy didn't work. After all, he had fought Vader and won. This mere apprentice was-

-Was at least as strong as he was.

Without warning, Galen lanced forwards, using the power of the Force to enhance his speed and bring him face to face with his adversary in less than a second. Lashing inwards with both blades, he brought them down on the Apprentice's head, crossed over one another to enhance the strength of that blow.

With reflexes as sharp as lightning, the Apprentice's red blades had come up to parry Galen's first attack and for a moment there was a brief struggle for dominance. The muscles in Galen's arms pulled taut as he forced downwards, attempting to lock down on the Apprentice and drag the weapons from his grasp.

Unfortunately the plan backfired.

The Apprentice – clearly thinking along the same lines – had managed to hook his saber correctly and all it took was a small adjustment of his weight for him to take that advantage. His arms levered upwards and Galen pitched forwards, over the Apprentice's head. In the same motion, the Apprentice whirled and followed up with a hefty blast of Force energy that slammed into the recovering Galen and sent him flying across the room.

Galen only just saved himself from being crushed against the side wall, using the Force to cushion him from harm and slow his momentum. Under control once more, he dropped to the ground and lifted his sabers-just in time to meet the Apprentice's headlong attack.

Their lightsabers clashed with a fierce hissing.

"The galaxy is not big enough for the two of us." The Apprentice hissed, lashing out with cruel swipes of his blades, driving his opponent backwards in his attempt to prise out an opening. Galen was forced into a defensive posture, focusing on the attacks being thrown in his direction and rising to meet each and every one.

If the battle had not been so deadly, it might have been considered a beautiful thing. Like dancers, the placement of their feet and their arms was crucial to ensure their own protection from the cold, hard bite of death. They swung and span and pivoted out of harm's way, lancing in for an attack before side-stepping from another strike. Each clone seemed able to match the other in speed and strength, teasing for a weakness that had yet to make an appearance.

The Apprentice struck low, attempting to cut Galen's legs out from under him. The move had been predictable, perhaps, because Galen easily leapt out of harm's way; finding footing on the console and cracking the fragile displays under his boots. With another back flip, he put distance between them, lashing out with his right arm out as he fell to prevent being backed into another corner.

Their blades met with a tremendous clash and instantly they engaged in another duel; battering at each other's defences as if looking to smash their way through barriers instead of finding a way around them.

They were so evenly matched that when Galen landed a hit, they both faltered in shock; a smoking streak now emblazoned across the Apprentice's tunic. It had not bit deep enough to do little more than graze the skin beneath the fabric but it gave Galen the strength he needed to continue when his arms had already begun to shake from the strain of the duel.

However, the Apprentice reacted with such violence and rage that his first string of attacks almost saw one of Galen's lightsabers wrenched from his hand. Only by the use of the Force did he keep it within his grasp, lifting it instantly to protect a swift follow-up attack. Their blades moved with incredible speed; carving red and blue loops in the air and turning purple where their edges met, slicing up anything that got in their way.

Pain flared in Galen's shoulder; a tell-tale sign that he'd been hit, and he pushed forward with both blades crossed, trying to put more distance between them. He turned into a back-flip, and pushed off against a wall to launch himself back into the fray, hoping to take the Apprentice by surprise.

They clashed again but the Apprentice had been ready. His stronger sword arm braced against the impact and the other saber carved across Galen's side; tearing fabric and scoring against his ribs. This time Galen did cry out in pain; spinning out of trouble to give himself a brief second to gather his wits.

The Apprentice was not about to give him that needed moment.

He came at him again; revolving both blades in a strange 'figure of eight' sweep that knocked Galen's nearside arm away, leaving him momentarily defenseless.

To Galen's surprise, the twisted clone did not take that opening. Instead, he stood back and smiled. "It is strange. You have my face, but you are so much less than what I expected. Master was right about you."

Galen felt the familiar heat of fury in his veins. "Vader knows _nothing_ of strength." He lunged forwards and the Apprentice's hand came up, bringing forth an incredible surge of Force power. It flung Galen back and he struck the wall hard; falling face-down, groaning as he hastened to pick himself up.

The ship reeled again, throwing Galen sideways as he attempted to stay upright. Then, in the blink of an eye, the Apprentice was back, throwing half a dozen testing blows to check on his opponent's reflexes. It did not come without discomfort, but Galen fended each one off, slapping the blades away with all the strength he could muster. The Apprentice went high, attempting to decapitate Galen with one vicious sweep. Sides heaving, Galen blocked the attack; the force of it jarring painfully through the bones in his arm. Gritting his teeth, he fought back; sweat running into his eyes as he attempted to restore the balance between them.

"You should not fight so hard." The Apprentice goaded. "You. Cannot. Win." He punctuated each swing with a snarled word; his golden eyes glowing feverishly.

With sudden inspiration, Galen ducked beneath one of the Apprentice's attacks, pivoting on tips of his fingers as he struck out with the heel of his boot. The move caught the Apprentice behind the back of a knee, buckling him forwards and, in that moment, Galen seized opportunity. Dropping the lightsaber in his right hand, he reached up, grabbing the Apprentice by the back of the neck and using his own momentum to drive the other clone's head down; smashing his face into the floor. The Apprentice tried to roll free but Galen flipped him onto his back with a kick and swung the blade down to his throat.

The Apprentice's pale face was split wide open; a bloody gash that trailed across a clearly broken nose. His pupils had sharply contracted under the intense blue light of the lightsaber; unfocused in shock.

Galen pressed the toe of his boot over the slice in the Sith's tunic and pressed down hard. "Do I meet your expectations _now_?"

"I saw you die. I saw it. In my head. You…died…" His hands groped upwards. "I saw you die, so die. Just _die_!"

Galen blinked, momentarily disgusted by the mad ranting of the tainted clone. Without warning, the Apprentice jerked upwards and Galen's saber burned a line into the side of his neck.

"Just DIE!" The crimson blade in the mad clone's hand seemed to pulse in echo of its handler's fury and Galen brought his one active blade in a vertical slice, driving the red back downwards towards its owner. He'd used this tactic once before…a move that had blinded Kota.

The light of the red and blue sabers banded across the Apprentice's face; the eyes glowing intensely in their sockets. The pale skin was slick with perspiration and strangely whiter when compared to the blood that marred it.

So intent on maintaining superiority over this clash, Galen did not notice the Apprentice raise his free hand until it was too late.

Releasing his hold, Galen curved his blade upwards to protect himself from the Sith Lightning. But nothing he could have done would have prevented it from reaching its target. At this close range, the Apprentice risked electrocuting himself. Unfortunately, things played into his favor and the blast of energy sent Galen careering backwards and clear of the Sith lying prone on the ground.

Paralyzed with agony, Galen arched his back, pressing his shoulders firmly down against the metal grate beneath him. His head was screaming at him to get up, but his body seemed unwilling to do anything until the pain had lessened.

The distant crackle of more lightning filled the room with static energy and, through bleary eyes, Galen saw the Apprentice preparing for his final strike. His saber sparked with purple lightning, the energy licking wildly across the crimson blade.

"This time you _will_ die! I will not let you steal my destiny from me. You are inferior. Do you hear? INFERIOR!"

Sensing what would come next, Galen reached out with the Force; the act made almost impossible by the pain and fatigue settling over his body. The feeling conjured a memory. A recent one.

_"What is it this time, old man?"_

_"You need to clear your mind. You're making mistakes."_

The Apprentice drew back his arm and with the forward motion, he released the saber and sent it arcing towards Galen. In that moment, his connection to the Force was restored and Galen's outstretched fingers claimed the dropped saber lying some meters away. It ignited mid-air and turned, connecting sharply with the Apprentice's blade and sending it spinning wildly off course.

Rolling to his feet, he extended a hand to retrieve the falling weapon, feeling better for its weight in his grasp. Then, armed again, he reversed his grip on the blades, setting himself into a defensive posture.

The Apprentice, snarling with rage, sent his other blade flying towards him. Galen ducked and knocked it from the air with a clean swipe. Turning back, he cast a mocking glance at the Apprentice, only to find the Sith wearing a bone-chilling smirk. In the corner of his eye, Galen caught a flash of red and realised – to his disbelief – that the clone had thrown the other blade again. This saber was luckier than its brother; searing across Galen's back even as he jerked sideways to evade it.

With a rush of anger and wounded pride, Galen set loose a powerful blast of Force energy across the deck. It struck fast and true, slamming the Apprentice into the far wall. Without pause, Galen sent ribbons of that same energy up around the overhead displays and directed them downwards with a dragging motion of both clawed hands. They ripped away from their attaching cables and came down on the Apprentice with a sudden eagerness.

Or that was the intention…

The Apprentice emitted a staggering Force Repulse that turned the displays to molten shards; driving them straight back towards Galen.

Surprised, Galen threw up a shield to protect himself from being sliced to ribbons, watching as the deadly fragments hit the enveloping blue light and were sent hurtling in all directions. The ship tilted sharply again; the creaks and groans sounding like the warning growl of some great beast.

On the far side of the room, the Apprentice was hunched over, his head clasped tightly in his hands as if in agony. Blood dripped from a new wound on the top of his head, painting a red stripe down one side of his face. Looking closer, however, it was clear that this was not the source of the problem. His shoulders bowed up with pain and a ragged scream tore from his bloodied lips. "What is happening to me?" The Apprentice lurched backwards, shaking himself as if to try and free himself from the agony that had wracked through him. The walls of the chamber behind the insane clone warped as if struck by a huge, invisible fist.

"You! Tell me! Why does it hurt?"

Galen startled, not sure what the other clone was getting at and unwilling to waste time and energy trying to reason with a mad man. Whatever Vader had done to him…it wasn't good. If he had thought himself mad, he had nothing on this clone.

"TELL ME!"

The Apprentice drove forwards at an incredible speed, slashing his blades so fast they were nigh untraceable. Even Galen could hardly keep up with them, his eyes flashing from blade to blade, his hands rushing to keep up. Then, suddenly, there was a horrible splintering sound and – with a sharp 'crack' – one of the Apprentice's red blades shattered.

Left only with the broken stump of the hilt, the Apprentice brought it down like a knife, his intent clearly to plunge it down into Galen's vulnerable chest.

Feeling the edge of panic draw closer, Galen clutched at the Sith's shoulder and drove his knee up against the mad one's midriff. The act stole the breath from the clone's lungs and left him open for a follow-up attack. Galen did so, aiming a heavy kick that sent the Apprentice flying backwards; the broken saber thrown free from his grasp.

But, even down to one blade, the Apprentice seemed to be filled with nothing but confidence and strength. The insane anger that surged through him seemed to bring forth endless power. Lifting his hands he drew forth the strength of the Dark Side and let it surge forwards, battering against Galen with devastating vigor.

Crossing both blue blades in front of him to help dispel the strength of the blasts, Galen's boots began to slide along the grating even as he dug in his heels to retain his ground.

Then, without warning, the floor tilted dangerously beneath them and the screams of the battered ship became deafeningly audible. Anything not fixed down began to slide, gaining speed as the angle tilted even further. Warning alarms blared wildly and – if the displays had still been working – they would no doubt have flared red with the sign: 'abandon ship'.

Dodging a rolling crate, Galen grabbed the lip of the console and vaulted himself over it, spinning to meet the Apprentice's blade and press the attack. He was all too aware, now, that if he didn't finish this quickly, neither of them would be getting out alive.

But, before they could even make contact, a tremendous, explosion shook the whole ship.

Galen was thrown back the way he had come, slamming into the viewport that splintered like cracked ice under the impact. One of his lightsabers came free from his grasp, bouncing uncontrollably across the deck. Lying at this angle, he could see the right side of the ship aflame, huge chunks of debris spinning through space. It took him a moment to realize that they'd hit a small starport and that a large part of it was still attached to the 'wing' of the XF-32.

He tried to pick himself up; a horrible sensation of vertigo driving through him at seeing the ominously close planet floating beneath him. Stretched out on the transparisteel, suspended above the emptiness of space, Galen could feel nothing but the sickening twist of dread coil through his gut.

If the transparisteel shattered…

Clearly, this thought had crossed the Apprentice's mind as well.

As Galen tried to move, the cracks began to fork outwards, creaking in ominous warning. There, practically a sitting target, the Apprentice fired another blast of Force power straight at him. It punched a hole through the damaged screen and Galen felt the cold vacuum of space reaching to claim him. He twisted, turning head over heel and snatched at his only chance for safety. A warped girder had been torn out along with him and hung now – still half-attached to the ship. His fingers hooked around its edge to hold him in place and, looking up, he saw the Apprentice leering at him from inside the bridge.

The failsafe shield had yet to fall into place and Galen realized the girder was preventing its release.

Perhaps there was still a chance for him to bring this back in his favor.

Holding on for dear life, he brought up a hand and – sending out roots of concentrated Force – found a twisted object large enough to suffice. He snapped it forwards as if it were no heavier than a feather, striking the Apprentice across the back and sending him hurtling out through the gaping viewport.

The bloody-faced clone's mouth contorted in anguish and rage as he tried to use the Force to stabilize himself. The attempt sent him tumbling backwards, slamming into the ship and then rolling out of sight.

Galen – feeling the last of his strength depleting – used the girder to swing himself back inside, surviving by the use of the Force alone. Dropping down inside the ship, he used the last of his energy to pull the girder free. A second later and the shield activated.

Gasping for breath and close to collapsing from pain and exhaustion, Galen's shaking hand reached for the com-link, hoping that it had not been lost during the brawl. Thankfully, it was still there.

"Juno." His voice sounded strangely hoarse and weak. "You there?"

"Galen? Thank the Force—are you okay?"

"Can you get to the bridge?"

"I had to draw back when the ship hit the starport." She sounded frantic. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to you in time."

"I need to stop it."

"What?"

"The ship. I need to stop it."

"You can't. Listen to me. It's too late. You're about to hit the atmosphere. You need to get out of there. The ship will not survive this. It will break apart!"

The ship had started listing to the left and Galen attempted to use the unbalanced weight of the ship to his advantage. He'd manipulated the 'flight' of ships before, so why couldn't he level this one off?

Wracked with exhaustion and forced to rest back on his knees, his attempts at leveling off the ship were made in vain. The unbalanced ship continued in its downward trend and, realizing it was time to admit defeat, he raised an arm to protect his eyes as the ship descended down through the atmosphere.

Juno's voice crackled inaudibly over the com-link.

The turbulence that followed felt strong enough to shake the ship to pieces around him and for a brief moment he expected to be consumed in a ball of fire. He tried to remember what it had been like to die the first time. Had it…hurt?

_"Get Bail and the others out of here. I'll be right behind you."_

_Sith Lightning struck Kota square in the chest, shoving him roughly off of his feet._

_Knowing then, that his fate was tied, Starkiller intervened, placing himself between the Jedi and the Emperor._

_"GO! Hurry! Protect the Senators!"_

_Starkiller, bracing the power of the Force against his open hands, stepped towards the Emperor and towards his death._

Blinking to clear himself of the memories of the original Starkiller, Galen drew his eyes back up to the viewport. Ahead, the fiery clouds parted, revealing the ocean planet below. Its purple-blue oceans were still and calm. Tiny figures had frozen in place, heads cast up to the sky. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for the impact that would bring fire and pain to its once orderly surface.

Spires of the industrial sprawls seemed, to Galen, a wall of spears – held up to fend him away.

But nothing could keep this ship aloft now.

Struck by a sudden revelation, Galen dragged himself back to his feet, moving to the forefront of the ship to gaze out across the sea world beneath him. There, off to the left, was a great stretch of open ocean and with the ship already tipping in that direction, he would need only to give it a little more encouragement to plunge it into the waves.

Drawing in the energy needed to perform the feat, he braced his legs against the grated floor and drew up both arms, fingers curled and ready to direct the energy into diverting the ship's course.

The reaction was not immediate and even before the ship started to turn, the strain of the concentration and strength needed was beginning to drain from him. Then, at long last, the ship shuddered; as if to give a dying breath and gave up the fight.

The power of the Force almost rolled it completely and, without warning, the whole ship plunged downwards, gaining speed as it went.

Realizing his mistake too late, Galen tried to slow the ship's descent, spreading the energy across its hull and pushing back.

The damage, however, had already been done and a second later, Galen left the ship alone, scrambling back and away from the viewport as the sea rose up to greet them. The nose dipped into tall waves, driving downwards and Galen felt a sudden rush of success flow through him. The feeling of achievement was squashed a moment later when the ship's nose crippled itself against the seabed. In that moment, the energy failed and Galen was thrown forwards through the now unprotected viewport. Water surged in through the opening, dragging him down into the currents and pulling him out into open depths.

He struggled weakly to reach the water's surface that wavered like ribbons of silver above his head. But wounded and tired, his attempts failed and, with burning lungs, he couldn't help but think that this was a terrible way to go.

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><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	11. Barriers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers! All of you really help keep me motivated! Thanks also to beta Liisiko who is amazingly efficient and wonderful.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 11 - Barriers<strong>

**Location: Selonia**

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><p>At first, Retto had thought the sky to be raining fire and stone and he had dropped into a rapid dive, twisting lithely into the safe embrace of the deep waters. Here, no fire could reach him and he would live to tell the tale to clan and queen alike.<p>

He could already see their awe-filled looks as he told them his story of survival and hear his name spoken in hushed reverence. For who would have thought that just another average and still rather young male Selonian could have survived such a thing? After all, he had no purpose other than to breed and perform menial domestic duties. There was no place for him in adventures - until today, of course.

He turned a sharp circle in the water to slow his descent and turned his muzzle upwards; looking for any sign of fire meeting with the waves. Instead of fire, a huge shadow loomed over him, so large it seemed to have turned day into night. Darkness descended and the feeling excitement quickly gave way to fear. He dropped the last few feet down to the seabed – wishing that he'd been further out so that he might have swum deeper still - and balanced himself on a piece of coral with a paw. This close to shore, the ocean was deemed safer for leisurely swimming – too shallow for the colossal sea monsters that lurked in the darkest of waters. But no one had ever said anything about monsters dropping from the sky.

Hooking his paw tightly, Retto looked up just in time to see the ocean yawn wide above him, the tip of a giant monster diving down at him. The Selonian froze in fear, rendered momentarily immobile by the awesome and horrifying sight that could only spell the end of the world.

A second later and he realised that if he stayed where he was, he would never get the chance to tell the others what he had witnessed.

The bindings of fear snapped and, in seconds he was surging upwards, dodging debris as he attempted to work the currents to his advantage. Beneath him, a few moments later, the huge construct hit the seabed; the impact driving fiercely through the waves. The currents shifted, dragging him back and his lungs strained for breath as he battled to overpower the strength of the sea.

He broke through the surf and rode the waves, pausing to glance back at the peace-destroying monster. Only then did he realize it was a starship; its nose now buried beneath the waves. It was sliding slowly onwards, further into the shallows so that even when it slid to a halt on its belly, the top half was still visible above the crests of the thrashing waves.

Retto bobbed with the erratic ebb and flow of the water; his large, dark eyes, watching with ever growing curiosity as the ship began to settle. It looked like no ship ever built in the skies above his homeworld which meant that the chances of there being aliens on board were very likely. Yet, with the war between the Empire and the Rebels, there was no telling whether the ones inside were friend or foe – if they were even alive at all.

Then, as if seeking to prove him wrong, something dark moved out there amongst the waves.

With eyesight hampered by the bright light of the day, Retto was almost tempted to believe he had imagined it, but, whilst his eyes could be ignored, his sense of smell could not. Something _was_ out there.

Kicking his hind legs, he sucked in a breath of air, and dived down under the depths, twisting his head from side to side as he sought the roiling sea for any sign of life. And there, floating down and away from the surface, was a four-limbed figure. Its misshapen paws twitched as if trying to fight on and, with an extra burst of speed, the Selonian streaked down towards the alien. Snagging it roughly by the folds of the garment it wore, Retto dragged it back up to the surface.

* * *

><p>"Kota!" Under the circumstances, Juno did well to keep her voice from shaking. The line crackled, but she didn't wait for him to respond. "I've sent you the coordinates."<p>

"We're on our way."

But it was too late. Just like he said it would be.

The XF-32 was burning away in the atmosphere and Galen was still inside, at the very helm, staring fiery death in the face.

Silently, she buried her face in both hands; curling the tips of her fingers into her scalp so tight that her nails left marks. This was one of the very few occasions that she wished she'd been gifted with the Force; that she might be able to reach across the empty expanse and find his presence there. But such power evaded her and, as she tried to keep herself from falling apart, she could not help but feel the cold, hard dread settling like a heavy weight in her stomach.

Above her, the ruined starport glowed like a warning beacon to any who might come by. She was just thankful that it had been put out of commission; housing only a few ships and – most likely – little more than a skeleton crew. The chunks of debris that had torn free had bounced across the abandoned XF-32 and hurled towards her. Luckily, the _Rogue Shadow_'s maneuverability partnered with her piloting skills had allowed her to dodge all of the fast-flying obstacles that had come her way. Unfortunately, the act had forced her further from Galen's position and she had, ultimately, failed in her task to provide safe transport for him.

With a shallow breath, Juno prepared the ship for descent, racing to catch up with the XF-32, which had – at that time – already broken through the atmosphere. The_ Rogue Shadow_'s viewport cleared to reveal the planet below; the ship a dark blemish on an otherwise beautiful landscape.

She choked on her held breath.

The adjusted path told her that Galen had managed to find his target, but the water had been too shallow; the ship only partially submerged in that roiling sea. Juno wasn't sure it would be enough to cushion the blow of the landing. Wasn't sure if…

Hastily chasing away that line of thought, Juno brought the _Rogue Shadow_ around, drawing low over the XF-32 where it lay in its shallow grave. Her eyes saw nothing and neither was there anything on the scanners – his signal lost shortly before impact when the distance between them had become too great. Leaving the ship to its rest, she circled around and around the water – so close that when she turned, the wings clipped the waves and sent spray up into the air. Still nothing.

"Juno? You there?" Kota's voice startled her.

"I'm at the crash site, Kota." She replied, struggling to keep her voice calm. "Can you sense him?"

"No. I can't. But Juno, that doesn't mean he's gone."

Juno couldn't find the words to reply. She shook her head, turning her eyes back out across the fallen ship. "Please." She whispered. "Don't leave me again."

* * *

><p>Retto thought the alien was dead, at first. He looked deathly pale, his lips tinged with blue, his eyes sunken in a face that looked most certainly blank of expression. In fact, if Retto had not been joined by three Selonian females, the alien probably would have died. One of the large females shoved past him and took charge; splaying a clawed paw down over the fur-less alien's clothed chest and pushing down hard. After the third attempt, the alien erupted into a fit of coughing, spitting sea water as he dragged precious air back into his lungs.<p>

"Where did you get this?" The same female demanded of Retto in their native tongue. Her very presence demanded respect, the small rounded ears laid flat as she snarled.

The male pointed. "The ship. You didn't see it fall?"

The female squinted out across the waves, there was something out there, though in this lift, it was hard to tell what it was. Fortunately, lying was nearly a thing of myth to the Selonian peoples and she had no reason to disbelieve him. Besides, a falling ship would have explained that almighty, tearing thunder. "Heard it." She replied gruffly. "Are there more?"

"Only saw this one."

She seemed satisfied with that and the other two females brandished their weapons at the alien as if to prepare for a sudden and unexpected attack.

After a moment, Retto crept a little closer. "What is it?"

"Do you know nothing?" The female hissed, baring her teeth. "It is a Human. You saved it. Now others will come to find it. The queen will not like this."

"Actually, you sav—" Retto cut himself off, silenced by the look the much taller Selonian was giving him. Females ranked above males, whether they were fertile or infertile. After all, the females were the warriors and protectors of the den, their roles crucial for ensuring safety and harmony. To argue with one would not be a good idea.

"If the Human had died, his people might blame us and attack." The female continued.

Retto nodded. Her theory was a sound but worrying one. After all, the protection of the den was what they all lived for; their motivation and duty. Drawing unwanted alien attention was not a good way to ensure the safety of their queen. This news was not going to bring smiles and celebrations. But, what was the likelihood that any of the Humans had survived on the ship? It had come down hard and, if this one's swimming skills was anything to go by, they wouldn't have been strong enough to make it to the surface.

The 'Human' on the ground was trying to sit up now, making low, wheezing sounds as it tried to breathe. The Selonians turned their eyes downwards and moved to surround it, not taking any chances.

"Human." The lead female spoke. "Why did your ship crash here?"

The Human blinked the glazed look from his eyes and tried to focus. But, when he opened his mouth to speak, none of the Selonians understood the slow, shaky dialect that uttered forth. They glanced amongst one another and then the lead female asked again in a slow and simplified voice.

"Human. Why you here?"

The alien frowned and spoke even slower, though it made no difference to bridge the gap in their lack of language skills.

He tried to stand and, with angry growls, the two other females pushed him back down with the pointed tips of their handcrafted glaives. His hand – with its strange soft-tipped fingers – moved for a cylindrical object at his hip and again the Selonians warned him to stay still, the tips of their blades working into the leather of his flight suit and threatening to pierce flesh.

Reluctantly, the Human drew his hand away, lifting it in a submissive gesture. He was lying back down again now; his eyes seeming to find it hard to stay open.

The large female leaned down to unclip the object from his belt, turning it slowly in her large, clawed hands.

The man spoke again and Retto, curiously, crouched down at his side; tipping his head as if to hear him better.

"Lesew." One of the other females addressed their commander. "I recognised some words. He speaks Basic. We should go and find Terreef. She knows it best."

"Terreef. Yes." Lesew's distracted eyes were still on the object in her hands. "This is…this is…" Ah. There! She found the small activation switch and touched it with a claw. The flare of bright light and energy hissed into being and the unexpectedness of it brought everyone to stunned silence.

"He has a laser sword!" One of the females cried out.

The man lifted his hand feebly and, with a twitch of his fingers, deactivated the weapon in her grasp. Then, all at once, consciousness fled from him and he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

The startled Selonians met one another's gaze and as one, breathed a word that was the same in many languages.

"Jedi."

Retto shook his head in disbelief. To think that he would be the savior of a Jedi warrior! He'd never met one before, but the kind of weapon they carried was unmistakeable. Strange, though. He'd expected a Jedi Knight to look far more powerful than this small, fur-less creature. Retto guessed that even he – a rather short Selonian at only 1.9 meters in height – was taller than the Jedi lying prone on the ground.

"Retto. Go and get Terreef." Lesew ordered, attaching the saber to the belt tied around her midsection. Except for the belt and her rough-carved jewelery, she wore no clothing or armor; showing off the deep, hazel brown fur that covered her sleek and powerful form. When drawn up to full height, she was exactly 2.1 meters tall, with short, powerful limbs attached to a long, agile body. Her fierce face was proud and noble; her angular jaw tensed; the long muzzle filled with sharp teeth.

The male cowered under the force of her order and, with a short nod, darted off towards the den.

* * *

><p>Kota's ship had joined her in the search, scouting down across the waves that sloshed noisily against the sides of the fallen prototype.<p>

Not for the first time, Juno wondered whether she'd be able to hold her breath long enough to make it down to the submerged bridge and see if he was…was in there. But judging from how much ship was under water, she was fairly certain that even if she could get down and back again on a lung-full of air, it would be too dark to see much of anything.

Kota was leaning out of his own shuttle, searching with his senses and she lifted her eyes to watch him.

How long could they go on like this? How long could they continue circling before they had to admit defeat and leave him? Without a body, would she always live in hope that one day he might return to her as he had once before? How long would it be before a hope like that broke her?

Kota's head snapped up and with a wild wave of his arm, he pointed out across the sea.

Turning in her chair, she tried to see what had caught his attention. At this distance, however, she could see only the empty ocean that stretched across to the shore.

When she turned back, Kota was gone and – a second later – his voice crackled across the line. "He's alive." His voice was roughened with relief. "Galen's alive."

The rush of emotion had her shaking uncontrollably in her seat as she tried to conjure her voice to respond.

"On the shore. He's faint but there."

"Why couldn't you sense him before?" She asked, turning the ship around.

"Must have been knocked unconscious."

"I hope you're right." With relief flooding through her, Juno eased the paddle forwards and the _Rogue Shadow_ accelerated smoothly, pressing her back into the worn cushioning of the chair. As she drew nearer she could see a large number of figures down on the grey-hued sand of the shore. None of them, however, looked human.

Feeling her panic mounting, she slowed the ship and looked for a suitable place to land. The soft shoreline didn't pose a great possibility, but neither did the sheer rock face that would mean a long climb down to where the natives were gathered. By this time, Kota's ship had drawn up close by and was lowering itself over the shallows. Juno realised that they intended to drop Kota off and find a better place to land. Unfortunately, she didn't have that option.

Infuriated, she decided to risk a landing on the sand. It wouldn't be much different from landing on the snow as she had done on Corellia and at least there were no strong winds to ail her as she descended.

The landing was a rushed job which saw one of the landing gears sinking into the sand; putting the ship at a slightly odd angle. The loading ramp opened and came to a premature stop as it hit against the soft ground; mechanisms grinding angrily.

Then, taking the time only to put the ship into standby, she rushed down onto the shore and ran awkwardly across the soft, uneven ground. Her gait slowed as she drew closer, noting with some fear that, up close, these locals were huge and feral looking. Even the shortest ones in the group were taller than her; strong of limb and covered in short, bristled fur. Each and every one of them held a weapon and all of them looked quite prepared to use them if provoked.

A wall of the powerful mammals had moved in to prevent them getting any closer and Kota stood before them, seemingly unfazed by the weapons pointed in his direction. They glared at them with fierce but wary eyes.

Juno groped for the pistol at her hip and cursed at having left it behind.

"None of your people speak Galactic Basic?" Kota was asking.

The largest of the Selonians shook her head and in slowly pronounced Basic, returned with the simple reply of: "No understand."

Kota gave an irritated growl and pressed a hand against his armored chest. "My name is Kota." He enforced it with another tap. "Kota."

He pointed across at Juno, who drew up alongside him. "Juno." He repeated the name slowly and the Selonians followed the line of his finger to glare at the small blonde woman.

The large female gave an amused snort and nodded sharply, setting a hand across her own chest. "Lesew."

"We're looking for our friend. Have you seen him? Our friend?"

Lesew frowned in thought. "No understand." The phrase seemed to be all she knew of the shared language, though perhaps that was not quite true.

Kota cursed and angled his head towards Juno. "Do you know the Selonian word for friend, by any chance?"

"No." She replied unhappily.

Struck by inspiration, Kota took the saber from his belt and held it out for Lesew to observe. "We're looking for another. He carries one of these." Recognition flared in the Selonian's eyes and she replied in her own language, reaching back to take something from her own belt.

Juno felt a wave of recognition at the object in the clawed hand of the local.

"That's Galen's saber! Would they have hurt him, Kota?" She shouldered past the Jedi, only to have his hand close over her arm; drawing her back to his side.

"No. I don't think so."

"Jedi?" Lesew asked, taking them both by surprise.

"Yes. Jedi." He tapped at his chest. "Kota Jedi."

With a sound of surprise, Lesew snapped her head back and gave a string of orders. After a delayed moment, some of the Selonians stepped aside, creating a break in the wall that was clearly made to allow them to pass. Lesew turned back, lifting an arm to gesture them through, enforcing the invitation with a single word: "Jedi."

Kota led the way with Juno following close behind; her view ahead blocked by the elderly Jedi's back. She was aware, also, that Lesew was moving in after her, clearly wanting to keep the strangers under close watch. She supposed she couldn't blame them. After all, their visit had hardly been expected.

The Selonians who had formed the defensive wall, turned to glare at them as they passed and Juno couldn't help but feel that – if these mammals wanted to kill them, now, they would have no difficulty in doing so. They were well and truly surrounded. Perhaps they were even walking straight into a trap.

Her fear of being attacked, however, fled at the sight of Galen lying on the firm, grey sand. He was surrounded by the Selonian warriors – weapons hovering over him despite the fact that he was clearly unconscious. And, without much thought to her own safety, Juno pushed past Kota and stumbled across to him. Falling to her knees at his side, she knocked aside one of the glaives and reached down to touch his face.

He was cold and covered in sand but he was breathing and his heart thumped slow but steady beneath her hand.

She called his name but he didn't respond.

"We need to get him back to the _Rogue Shadow_."

Kota knelt beside her. "Try not to worry too much. The Force is strong in him."

Above them, the guarding Selonians stirred unhappily, clearly not liking the fact that they couldn't understand much of anything that the two aliens were saying. Lesew, who moved in closer, barked another order which sent one of the guards running.

Juno shifted further around, grabbing Galen by the shoulders in an attempt to lift him up. The act was met with angry words and three glaives were turned upon her.

"We need to get him back to the ship." Juno demanded, her voice low and her eyes flashing.

Lesew snarled, whiskers bristling.

"Can't _any_ of you understand us?"

There was a shifting in the crowds and, a moment later, a smaller Selonian appeared. This one was a male with light brown fur and large, dark eyes. He was still tall, but next to the females, he looked miniscule. He had the look of an adolescent and seemed nervous. His eyes constantly darted from side to side; keeping careful watch of the females as if he was afraid they might turn on him, too.

Lesew turned and spoke in her deep, powerful voice. The small male returned the words, leaping neatly aside so as to make room for the one following slowly behind him.

"Kota?" Juno whispered. "What's going on?"

The old Jedi rose back up to his full height. "With any luck, that young one brought a translator."

A moment later and the hulking figure of a large, greying Selonian appeared. Standing upright, she might have easily matched Lesew in height. However, age seemed to have given her a hunch and she moved with a glaive that she used as a walking stick. Her eyes were sunken in the silver-threaded face and her tail dragged instead of being carried. Close at her side was an even smaller Selonian – a child, by the looks of it. The little one walked so close to the elder that Juno wondered how the older one didn't trip. Perhaps the little one was a relative of some kind.

"Terreef!" Lesew bellowed, moving around the fur-less intruders to reach the elder. On her way, she paused to cuff the male sharply across the head, though what he had done wrong, Juno could not guess.

She looked back down at Galen, noticing for the first time, that she had blood stained across one of her hands. She froze, staring at it in horror and trying desperately not to panic in front of everyone.

"Kota…"

She was interrupted by the elderly Selonian who had moved closer to the group; a hand set protectively on the head of the youngster attached to her side. "Humans. Why do you come here?"

Juno leapt to her feet, obscenely relieved to hear words she could understand. "Our friend is injured." She held out her hand as proof and the Selonian recoiled a little. "Let us go on our way. We mean you no harm."

"You crashed your ship?" The elder continued patiently, seemingly in no rush to address the wounded man on the shore.

Kota set a hand on Juno's shoulder. "Patience. Getting angry at these people won't help."

She set her jaw and gritted her teeth, giving a short nod for Kota to take over.

"I am General Kota. A Jedi. This is my friend, Juno Eclipse; a Captain in the Rebel Alliance."

The elderly Selonian gave a low grumble. "I am Terreef. I study your language. I will be able to translate." She gestured to the little one. "This is Knim. She is my…I think you say: apprentice."

Kota gave a brief bow of his head. "The ship that crashed was owned by the Empire. They used it as a trap to lure the Rebels. Our friend." He pointed down at Galen. "Was in that ship when it came down."

"Yes. Brought here by one of our males; Retto." Terreef replied. "Found in the sea. Close to drowning, but Lesew pushed water from his lungs."

"And for that, we are grateful." Kota replied. "Our friend appears to have other injuries which need to be treated."

"We'd like to take him aboard our ship." Juno added.

"We have some medical supplies to…staunch any wounds." The elder replied.

Kota and Juno shared a brief glance.

"I'd rather us just get away from here." Juno admitted.

"I don't think we can." The Jedi admitted slowly.

"Why not?"

"The reason Galen was on the ship." He paused, looking concerned. "I think it's still there."

"You_ think_?"

"I thought I felt something but…I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting paranoid in my old age."

"What reason?" Terreef interrupted, looking suspicious.

"There…was a powerful member of the Empire on board the ship. We were sent to assassinate him."

"We do not get involved with you Rebels or the Empire." Terreef insisted. "You bring trouble. Now you take trouble away."

"We will do all in our power to ensure your people are not caught in the crossfire. We do not intend to leave without completing our mission"

Terreef curled a lip and the little one at her side pressed even more tightly against her. "Wait." She turned back her head to look at Lesew and broke out into conversation in her native tongue.

Juno's patience was thinning by the moment.

Eventually the old female's conversation ended. "We have decided to keep you here in case this powerful one comes to search for you. Jedi to come with us." She pointed at Kota. "The queen will see you. Lesew and Knim will go with others to your ship. We will send another with supplies." She worked herself free of the small Selonian and took a step back.

Juno looked worriedly over at Kota but he waved her away. "I'll be fine."

"Well…if you're sure."

"I am. Now get going."

"Thank you." Juno replied hurriedly.

Terreef gestured forwards two guards who – between them – lifted Galen up from the ground and carried him back to the ship.

Juno led the way.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	12. Altercations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Okay, guys, I'm on vacation next week and probably won't be back until Sunday. As such there will NOT be an update on Saturday (sorry) but, I will try and get the update to you on Sunday/Monday depending on how much time I have to make the last minute edits, etc...**

**Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers/readers/subscribers and to Liisiko for her awesome beta-skills.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 12 - Altercations<strong>

**Location: Selonia**

* * *

><p>The Selonians' strength made moving Galen look incredibly easy and, with no trouble at all, they carried him across the sand, up the loading ramp of the ship and set him carefully down on the makeshift bed.<p>

Immediately, Juno went to work, finding bandages and scouring the shelves for bacta supplies – unwilling to wait for the Selonians to arrive with their own medicines. Then, with an armful of materials, she knelt down beside the bed and unzipped his flight suit, lifting his head with one hand as she struggled to ease the clothing down from his shoulders.

Lesew set a hand on Knim's shoulder and gave her a small push forwards.

Juno looked up.

"Hello, Human." The small one greeted. Her voice was quiet and high-pitched and Juno guessed that she may have been about ten years old – assuming they grew at a similar rate to Humans. "I help?"

Juno's eyes flicked nervously up to Lesew who stood wordlessly in the doorway. The other two guards had already departed, though Juno guessed that they wouldn't have gone far. Clearing her thoughts, she returned her gaze back to Knim and gave a short nod. "Could you hold his head for me whilst I try and get to his wounds?"

Knim nodded, moving slowly around to stand beside the woman. Juno guessed that the child was more shy than afraid. After all, with Lesew and the others to guard her from danger, fear wasn't something a Selonian child would feel very frequently.

"Like…this?"

"That's right." Trusting the child to hold him still, she finally managed to loosen the garment enough to work it down off of his shoulders – one at a time. The plain blue shirt beneath was darkened with patches of drying blood, though Juno hoped it did not all belong to him.

"We need to turn him. Do you understand?"

Knim took a moment to process the words; clearly thinking hard about them. She nodded. "Yes."

Together, they shifted him onto his side and, with a sharp blade; Juno cut the shirt away from his back, wincing at the fabric sticking to the oozing wounds. The one on his shoulder was only one of three cruel marks that had cut into flesh. Another wound slashed horizontally across his lower back, tapering at the edges. Yet another curved across his side, which was sporting some horrific, purple-black bruising. The bruising probably signified broken ribs. Another short, jagged wound in his saber-burned shoulder had started to bleed profusely.

Pushing her panic away – knowing that he'd had worse injuries before – she began the task of cleaning each one; her own shoulder throbbing as if suddenly being reminded how it, too, had been injured.

Knim watched her with large, inquisitive eyes.

* * *

><p>"He still lives, my Master." Came the grating, chilling voice of the Dark Lord himself. He sat in his personal quarters aboard the Executor, his armor still showing signs of ruin. At his side, a droid hummed quietly as it worked on making essential repairs to the suit that kept the Sith alive.<p>

"And what of the other, Lord Vader?"

"Alive." The respirator in his helmet gave a strange mechanical whine – clearly not yet fixed. "All three targets have gathered. It will not be long, now."

There was a moment of silence and the hooded figure in the holographic panel lifted his head. "When your clone has finished his task, he will be of no more use to us." He snarled. "Kill him."

"As you wish, my Master."

* * *

><p>Galen woke slowly, becoming aware of his injuries one by one. A burning in his shoulder, back and side. An ache across his chest that made breathing awkward. Tingling, shallow cuts on his face and arms. His throat felt dry and raw and there was a gritty texture, like sand, in his mouth.<p>

Voices – strangely muffled – drew him from his pain and though he struggled to focus on the words, he found the tone of them soothing.

"When I older, I go to Corellia."

"To learn languages?"

"Yes. To take over from Terreef. She old. Soon to die. Then I teach some language to all of den-sisters."

"How old are you now?"

"Seven years old. When I nine, I go to Corellia."

"What about Lesew? And Retto? What do they do?"

"Lesew is…best warrior. I not sure what you call them in your language."

"I thought she led your people until Terreef took Kota to meet your queen. The others seem to respect her greatly."

"No. Lesew is…cannot have pups."

"Infertile?"

"Yes. Most are."

"Oh…"

"We protect our queen and the males and one another."

"Your numbers seemed mainly female."

"Males also…rare. Retto one of three in den. Females bigger. Stronger. Our den is quite small compared to some."

Another voice chattered in a dialect that was unfamiliar, but the words were translated by the same trilling voice. "He wants to know why we speak his name."

Footsteps echoed and another entered the room. Galen knew it was Kota even before the old man spoke.

"He's awake."

There was movement and a light, warm pressure on his arm. His fingers twitched and a gentle touch on his face finally encouraged him to prise his eyes open. It was harder than he thought possible.

"Galen?"

"I'm…still alive, then?"

"Don't sound so surprised."

He tried to sit up but a firm grip on his good shoulder kept him in place. "Don't try to move just yet. Here, drink this." The rim of a cup was set against his mouth and he slaked his thirst.

When he spoke again, his voice sounded clearer. "What's the damage?"

"You've had worse." Juno replied. "You've got lacerations to your shoulder, your side and your back. Broken ribs. Bruising all over your torso." She shook her head. "There's another deep wound on your shoulder, but the Selonians gave us something to staunch it with. The rest are minor injuries. A few scrapes, is all." _Oh, and you almost drowned..._

"Selonians?" Holes in his short-term memory started to fill up again. He blinked. "The ship crashed."

"It did. You were rescued by one of the locals."

He pushed himself up into a sitting position and though a hand tried to prevent it, he prevailed, noting the faces in the room. Standing next to Juno was a small Selonian – perhaps the one he had heard speaking to her before. Next to her was a taller one with large, bright eyes. A male. Retto, then? In the doorway - hunched so that her head didn't knock against the ceiling - was the largest Selonian of all. He recognized her.

"You! Where's my lightsaber?"

The Selonian growled and barked out words in her own language. The small child near Juno replied and a conversation broke out between them. After a moment, Lesew took a step forwards, drawing up next to Kota, and handed the older Jedi the weapon. She, at least, seemed to have some wary trust for him.

"What happened to your other saber?" Kota asked.

Galen's hand touched the empty clip on his belt and his face contorted with uncertainty. "Must have lost it."

Kota's gaze darkened. "We need to talk about what happened up there, boy."

"Can't this wait?" Juno asked.

"No. It can't."

The pilot frowned but Galen's touch on her hand disarmed her irritation.

"He was waiting for me on the bridge. We…fought. He was powerful. Really powerful." He winced at remembering the wounds inflicted on him. "But there was…something wrong with him. He was so full of rage and hate." Even the original Starkiller had not been as dark-minded as that when under the service of the Empire. "I think he was suffering from visions. They…they seemed to be causing him physical pain."

"A side effect of the cloning process. Yes, I know what you're thinking."

"Kota…" He hesitated; very aware of Juno's presence.

"Or." The old Jedi continued. "It's just as likely to stem from something else. Don't let your fear cloud your judgment." He gave a low growl, dismissing Galen's concerns with startling ease. "What we need to know, boy, is whether or not you killed him."

The question rekindled the memory of his recent vision and, grimly, Galen shook his head. "No. He's still alive."

"But he can't have gotten out completely unscathed." Juno reasoned.

"Unscathed or not, he could pose a very real danger to the people here. I'll need to report this back to their queen." Kota glanced across at Knim to see if she'd grasped their conversation. Her face indicated that much of what had been spoken had been too fast to make a lot of sense, but she did grasp the fact that something important had been discovered and that the appropriate Selonians needed to be informed.

"Retto take you to Queen." She informed, giving the young male his orders.

"Wait." Juno interrupted. "You already met this queen? What do you think she will say?"

Kota gave an impatient growl. "Hardly a meeting. She was busy and discarded me after a couple of minutes. Truth be said, I didn't have much news for her. She'll be interested in this, though, if she cares about her people."

Retto was already at the door, pausing to ensure the Jedi was following. Lesew watched them go, her expression shrewd as she stepped back into place by the doorway.

Only then did Juno lean down and press a tender kiss to Galen's mouth.

"Get some rest, okay?" She gave him a gentle smile.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go check the sensor readings."

"Is he…your mate?" Knim spoke up without warning, childlike in her curiosity and surprise.

Juno gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. "I-I guess so. Yes."

"You are quite small." Knim continued. "For a queen."

"We, uh…yes, I suppose I might be." Juno decided that it would be better not to get into a conversation about the differences between their species and their culture.

Behind her, she heard Galen stifle an amused laugh.

"Will you be heading back to the den, soon?" Juno asked.

"Yes. Lesew and guards will stay."

"Then thank you for your help."

* * *

><p>Juno didn't need to turn around to see who had entered the cockpit. She recognized him by his footsteps on the grille panels beneath his feet.<p>

"So this is where my _queen_ has been hiding."

"Working, not hiding." She corrected, ignoring his teasing. "And _you_ should be resting."

"I was." A pause. "I am." He rolled his eyes, easing himself gingerly into the co-pilot chair, being careful not to aggravate his bandaged wounds. "Couldn't sleep."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Honestly?" She cast him a disbelieving look.

"You've seen it yourself, I've had worse."

She flipped one of the switches on the console to continue reviewing the data, her eyes running over the new figures coming through. There was no point in trying to convince him to get some rest. He always had been too stubborn for his own good.

"Anything?"

"Not yet." She replied wearily.

"Has Kota been back?"

"Only briefly."

"So where is he now?"

"Waiting for another audience with Her Highness, I expect."

"What exactly have they been discussing?" He touched a hand to his side and drew in a short breath.

"Apparently he told her that he was…"

_"…happy to provide assistance."_

_The queen shifted indecisively and spoke in broken Basic. It had been a long time since she had needed to use it. "You want kill?"_

_Kota hesitated. "We will bring him to justice. If he refuses to surrender, we may be left with little choice."_

_The queen cut him off. "You kill, then. No use pretty words." She settled herself more comfortably into her chair and crossed a leg over a knee. She was a large but overweight, black-pelted female who blended well with the dim light of the dens. Her muzzle bore old battle wounds, the fur growing back in odd tufts that gave her a somewhat roughened look. Small glowing lights had been set out to aid the Human in their midst. He did't tell them that light mattered little when it came to his sight._

_"He no want us. He want you. You go. He go. Simple, yes? We no want your war here."_

_"He is too dangerous to risk leaving here. Whether you are a target or not, your people could be in grave danger. It would be folly to ignore this."_

_The queen growled in her throat and he adjusted his words for her to better understand: "To ignore this would be dangerous."_

_Her eyes narrowed but she already seemed to know that what Kota spoke was truth. "Tell plan."_

_"I will head into the ship and locate the Sith."_

_"Alone?"_

_"If need be. Yes."_

_"Other Jedi not go?"_

_Kota rubbed at the bristles on his chin. "It would be wise for one of us to remain here, in case of trouble."_

_Terreef interrupted. "My Queen. It might be wise to listen to Jedi's warnings. If Sith very powerful, we may need help."_

_"We need?" The dark female thundered. "He need!" Too angry to continue in Basic, she exploded into a fiery tirade in her own language. The elderly female hunkered down and, from the doorway; Kota heard the young male – Retto – back hastily away._

_The queen was an intimidating creature. Unlike the other females, she was wide through the middle; probably through the lack of training the warriors went through, combined with the many children she had borne. Being so large and tall made her seem gigantic, especially when compared to the hunched figure of Terreef or the slender adolescent male._

_Her tail slapped down against the ground and, with a snarl, she turned to Kota and ordered him out._

_He complied._

"So where is the old man, now?"

"Still waiting, I should think. I don't know how long they intend to keep him holding out for a decision."

"Too long. Without a doubt."

Her shoulders sagged. "What do you think we should do?"

"The way I see it we have two options. One; we sit here and wait for the Sith to show up – which he will eventually. Or, two, we take the initiative and find him before he regains some of his strength. There's clear advantages in making the first move."

"And when you say 'we', who do you mean, exactly?"

"…Me."

Her face darkened. "Kota won't be sidelined again and don't think I'm just going to stand back and watch you go back into that ship alone."

"Kota's out of his league."

"And in your current state, you're not?"

Galen's brow furrowed. "I _am_ stronger."

She gave an infuriated growl and leapt to her feet. "Stop being so stubborn and let us help you."

"You already _are_ helping."

"There is strength in numbers. I kept Kota out of the battle before and look what happened. I almost lost you again. Don't make me sit back and go through that again. Please."

He stood to meet her. "If he had boarded that ship it could have been a lot worse. No. It would have been worse. If Kota had it his way, he wouldn't even be alive now."

"You don't know that!"

"I saw it, Juno. The visions don't lie."

"Fine. So you saw him die and you kept him from the ship. The danger has passed now, hasn't it? The ship is lying half-submerged in the ocean. Let him help you."

"I can't let him on there. Not until I'm certain the risk has been eliminated."

"How did he die?" She pressed. "Galen? In your vision, how did he die? Vader's apprentice kills him?"

Galen continued to hesitate, glancing away.

"Galen! Talk to me." She grabbed his arm and his eyes snapped fiercely to meet hers.

"It's me. I kill him!"

She fell into a stunned silence, but only for a moment. "No. I don't believe it. Not for one minute. Why would you even do that?"

"Because I'm…"

"What? Going mad? Listen to what you're suggesting! You're driving yourself mad with that way of thinking. You can't keep doing this, Galen. How many times do I have to say it to make you believe it?" She grabbed him by the wrist and gave it a sharp tug to get his attention. The motion jarred his wounded shoulder and his mouth twisted into a thin line.

"I won't stand by and watch you throw yourself into danger again. Especially not when it could be avoided. I won't." She eyed him furiously. "Think about it for a moment. How would you feel if the role was reversed?"

"But you don't—"

"—Stop." She held up a hand. "Just stop."

"Can't you understand why I need to do this? I'm trying to protect you. Both of you!"

The sound of swift feet approached and one of the Selonian guards stormed in through the doorway, ordering them firmly in her own language.

Galen's arm swept up automatically, bringing with it a sweep of Force power that sent the alien hurtling back the way it had come. A second later and Lesew leapt over the body of her stunned comrade; crossing the room in almost a single stride. With a snarl, she slammed Galen back against the console, pinning him there.

Juno saw the anger in his eyes and a crackle of blue light scuttled down across his forearms. The Selonian's grip tightened.

"Stop!" The word burst from her panic-stricken lungs. "Stop. Please."

Galen's body remained tense, but he was able to restrain himself from lashing out. Lesew's grip tightened, her claws piercing the surface of his skin.

Juno, lifting both hands soothingly, edged closer. "Please, Lesew. Stop. He wasn't going to hurt me or anyone else."

The guard – who had been knocked back by the blast of Force – had recovered and was drawing closer too, her glaive raised threateningly.

"Stop!" Juno cried. "No. No!"

Lesew's head swung around, clearly recognizing the word 'no'.

"Stop."

In the end, it was probably the look on Juno's face that got the message through. Lesew's grip relaxed and after a moment she stepped back, lifting an arm to ward off the guard at her side.

"Ugh." Galen sagged forwards, grasping at his injured side. His face was white and the bandages were stained with fresh blood from his array of injuries.

Juno was at next to him in seconds, tucking herself in against his side – his arm looped loosely about her neck.

A moment later and Kota burst into the cockpit, Retto close behind him. "Someone care to explain what's going on here?" He looked furious, his eyes boring into Galen. "Boy?"

"It's my fault, General." Juno replied, helping seat Galen back in his chair.

Kota ignored her. "Starkiller?"

Galen grimaced. "Just a misunderstanding."

"Control your emotions, boy! Now is not the time to start making enemies among the people here. You'd better hope this little mishap doesn't have their queen going back on her agreement." He eyed Lesew who was watching them intently.

"She reached a decision?" Juno asked, sounding surprised.

He gave a gruff sound of acknowledgment.

"Well at least that's something."

"Don't get too excited. There's still time for her to go back on her word and, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't blame her if she did."

"We were…having a disagreement." Juno admitted. "Lesew must have thought he posed a threat."

"Must have been some disagreement."

"Juno doesn't want me to help." Galen growled.

"You don't even know what the plan is yet." Kota replied.

"That's not what I said, Galen." Juno interrupted, turning her gazer back to Kota. "He had his own plan and it involved him going off by himself."

Kota scowled. "And you going in on your own worked out brilliantly the last time, didn't it, boy?"

Galen said nothing and Kota turned his attention back to Juno.

"Can you get in contact with Viedas' men?"

"Sure." Her face looked deeply troubled as she turned to tap into their frequency, stepping aside to give Kota room when it was done.

"This is Kota. Respond."

The line crackled. "Receiving you, General."

"Good. Now, listen up. I'll need you to bring that ship down at first light. That's at 05:00 hours. We'll be on the shore ready for pick up. Ready the men. We're moving in on the downed XF-32. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Kota out." He closed the line and straightened. "That gives me some time to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Galen asked, though he clearly had his suspicions.

"That is none of your concern, boy."

"You can't!" He was on his feet again, moving back towards the old Jedi, ever tenacious. "I won't let you do this. I've fought him once before, remember? What makes you think you stand any chance?"

"You might be stronger but the way you are at the moment, I'd say that I stand a better chance at beating him than you."

Galen's eyes flashed and Kota retaliated by jabbing him in the ribs.

Anger was interrupted by a flare of pain. The broken ribs were clearly causing more pain than he was letting on.

"I've fought in a worse condition before. This is no different." He hissed between his teeth.

And he certainly had.

The memory of one of his first missions as Vader's assassin rang clear in his mind. He couldn't remember the target now (some foolish politician, perhaps?) but he remembered the escape from the huge estate. He remembered being tackled by guards and falling…falling. He'd landed awkwardly from a great height and broken his arm in three places. One break had been so bad that the bone had torn out through the flesh; its edge splintered and sharp. The limb had hung limp at his side as he'd battled his way past a swarm of attack droids.

"If it was just physical injuries, I'd be inclined to agree with you." Kota replied, his tone gentler. "But it isn't." He tapped his own temple. "It's what's going on up there that's worrying me."

Galen tried to come up with a response.

Tried and failed.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	13. Assembling

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

**Note: Here is the next instalment! The next update should be up on Saturday as usual. Thanks again to all my reviewers/readers/subscribers and, as always, to Liisiko for her beta skills.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 13 - Assembling<strong>

**Location: Selonia / XF-32**

* * *

><p>He filled his mind with the sound of the sea. Feeling the Force flow through it, shift with it, come and go with it. It moved around the shining shapes of fish, through the lines of their scales, rushing through their gills and rippled away on rapid fins. The power of it came with the waves, spreading out, fading, curling and lapping at the sand. Particles of sand shifted, darkened, grew heavier and held the shape of the paws that stepped over its smooth surface.<p>

It crawled unseen through the sand and air. It lifted the stones up from their beds, drawing them away from comfort. They tilted on their axis like miniature planets; turning perfect ovals around and around.

One rock was brushed aside and sent spinning erratically through the air. Losing height. Falling. Joining with the sea.

The sound of its submersion drew him from his meditation, aware that he was no longer alone.

He set each rock down slowly and cast a glance sideways, spying the Selonian who had joined him. There were more, in fact, if his senses were correct. The one he could see, however, was the young male to whom he owed his life.

The Selonian leant down and lifted one of the rocks, turning it over in his paw as if expecting to find some explanation for what he'd just seen.

"Uh, Retto, isn't it?"

The Selonian's head snapped up, large eyes blinking rapidly. He nodded once and pointed at himself. "Retto."

"You saved me from drowning." Galen continued. "Thank you."

The male clearly did not understand, but he seemed comfortable enough to draw closer, kneeling down carefully a few steps from where Galen sat. After a moment he held out the stone and chattered encouragingly.

"I don't—" Galen paused, looking at the stone being offered back to him. With a smirk, he flicked his wrist flippantly and sent the rock hurtling out into the darkness; the Force driving it far further than if he had just thrown it.

Retto gave a surprised sound and spoke with great enthusiasm. He trailed after a moment, clearly remembering that the Human knew nothing of his language. Then, deciding on a different approach, he lifted the glaive from its strap slung diagonally across his chest and jabbed at the air. He pivoted on a heel, swinging the glaive around and drove it forwards with incredible force. Galen imagined such a move would quite easily have the strength to impale a man's chest.

The male paused and gestured towards Galen. "Jedi…Jedi…glaive ob-stka?"

"I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"No understand?" Retto echoed. He looked disheartened but then strengthened his resolve a moment later, drawing up one hand to point towards Galen's belt.

"My lightsaber?" He unclipped the cylinder from his hip and got to his feet, lifting it up. Retto just stood; watching patiently, clearly waiting for Galen to do something.

Spinning the hilt between his fingers, he ignited the blade and allowed it to settle comfortably in his palm. Instantly, the Selonian gave an excited chitter, dropping into a defensive stance and tilting the glaive in his hand; its point directed straight towards Galen.

Suddenly it all became clear.

"You want to…duel with me?"

Retto said nothing, continuing to edge a slow circle around him, weapon held up defensively. Galen, taking a short step back, adjusted the power of the blade so it would not cut through the wooden shaft of the Selonian Glaive. To show its reduced power, he bounced the blade against his palm, feeling nothing more than a strange, static buzz tingle up his hand and arm.

Seemingly satisfied, Retto lunged forwards and, despite his injuries Galen twisted neatly out of danger, lifting his saber to meet with the other weapon and knocking it aside. Retto proved to be a rather average fighter. His attacks, whilst strong and forceful, became horribly predictable after only a few moments.

Then, after a few exchanges, the Selonian sprang backwards and raised his arms in surrender - which turned out to be a good thing, because Galen's wounds had started to bother him again.

Galen, extinguishing his blade, turned to see that five others had crept forwards to watch. All of them were youngsters, many of them smaller than Retto and one of them barely half his size. However, they seemed to be rather amused at the whole thing and, at seeing the duel ended, began speaking in swift, excited voices. Retto seemed suddenly sheepish, dipping his head and tail. Galen didn't need to hear what they were saying to know that they were taunting him.

Without warning, one of the youngsters sprang at Retto and snatched the glaive from his grasp, dashing back across the firm sand towards Galen. She brandished it, but in good spirits, and fell into a defensive stance. The others settled in to watch and Galen - with a weary smirk - activated his lightsaber again, mimicking her posture.

Surprisingly, the younger female was a more experienced opponent. She knew far more combinations, more moves and was clearly trying to practice being a trickster in battle; baiting and luring him into a position that she could take advantage of. Unfortunately for her, Galen wasn't about to fall for any of them. And as he duelled with her, he remembered that all of the guards he'd seen so far had been female. Perhaps the males in the community were not customarily taught how to fight?

Even still, for all that she had learned, her skill was in no way comparable to Galen's and a few moments later she admitted defeat. However, unlike with Retto, the other Selonian children seemed incredibly impressed with how their friend had fought and huddled close to her, chattering excitedly.

Galen took that opportunity to slip away.

* * *

><p>Kota was not onboard and, since neither of the guards spoke any Basic at all, Galen didn't waste much time trying to question them on his whereabouts.<p>

Juno, on the other hand, was a lot easier to find. She was still in the pilot's seat, slumped forwards against the console, head pillowed against her arms.

It was utterly adorable.

Kneeling beside her, he touched her cheek, drawing her back from slumber to semi-wakefulness. Her eyelids parted with some reluctance.

"Tired?" He asked, quietly.

"Hm." She drew herself up from the console, rubbing groggily at her face. The imprint of the folds of her clothing left a trail across her cheek. "What time is it?"

"Time for sleep."

She gave him a slow smile and took his offered hand, gathering her feet under her. "Where've you been?"

"Meditating." Without warning he leaned forwards and lifted her up into his arms, turning to carry her out of the cockpit. A mistake, perhaps, as his side complained with renewed vigor and his step faltered slightly as he waited for it to pass. She turned her head in against his chest and released a slow breath, already seeming to be slipping back into sleep.

Ignoring the protests of his wounds, he edged down the corridor and across to the bunk room, setting her down carefully. Her arms came up to loop around his neck and, gently, he eased out of her insistent grasp.

"Where are you going?" She mumbled; an arm still elevated towards him.

"I…" He paused, thinking back to their heated conversation earlier that day. "I'm sorry."

She frowned. "Apologize in the morning. I'm too tired to appreciate it right now." She shifted to make room for him, waving at him to join her.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"The clone might make his move. I need to stay awake."

"Kota is awake." She mumbled and then added. "Just lie here with me then. You can sense him from here as well as you would anywhere else."

After a moment of reluctance, he nodded, pausing only to remove his boots and utility belt, throwing them carelessly aside. Then he was lying next to her, the warmth of her body pressed against his good side, her head across his heart. He stroked her hair and, with a wave of his hand, killed the lights.

* * *

><p>Consciousness returned to the Apprentice gradually; a pinprick of awareness expanding to reveal more and more to his slowly recovering senses.<p>

He was aware, first, of a nauseating pain throbbing at the base of his skull and a persistent ringing in his ears as if a grenade had gone off at his feet. He sucked in a breath and choked on the dry, stale air. The jarring motion brought a fresh slash of pain across his chest and his eyes flared wide; contracting pupils almost consumed by fiery gold.

The fizz-pop sound of electricity dragged him further into a state of awareness and, with a great deal of discomfort, lifted himself up onto his hands and knees; coughing violently to clear his lungs.

Pushing himself up to his feet, he staggered dangerously, throwing out an arm to brace himself against cold, buckled durasteel. His other hand came up to press across the fiery brand on his chest, he glanced down at the tear in his tunic; the edges burned.

Then he remembered the duel and the pain of the memories drilled into his mind. He clutched helplessly at his skull, wavering dangerously on his feet. But. as suddenly as it came, it passed, leaving him shaken and empty. Thick blood seeped from his nostrils and he wiped it with the back of his hand, grimacing at the pain the act sent shooting through him. His nose was likely broken as well.

What other wounds had that _inferior_ clone inflicted? And…where was he? Alive? Dead? And what of himself? How had he managed to get here?

It hurt to think.

Light emitters crackled above his head, exposed wires spitting with angry sparks. The room was badly damaged, the durasteel flooring twisted and torn. At the lowest point in the room, water had collected; its still surface perfectly reflecting the bands of blue lights flickering on and off on the ceiling above. Looking up, he could see the stormy, early morning sky through a circular perforation in the ship's hull.

He remembered.

_He struck the hull hard, driving the breath from his lungs. Bounced and spun; ship streaming below him – faster now as it descended. He attempted to gain some control of his flight -if it could even be called that- and used the Force to propel himself back towards the ship's side._

_He hit the durasteel plating again. Fingers scrabbled to find purchase. An elbow hooked around the neck of a communications dish, fixing him in place. A red saber flared in his hand. He drove it downwards like a dagger; carving into the side of the ship. It screamed as if in pain, the hot edge working through the strengthened steel. Then he was through, dropping down into the room below. Above him space had turned to fire as the ship hit the atmosphere. Trying frantically to close off the room. Trying to keep himself safe. Finally, the missing chunk of the ship was hefted back into place sealing the gap._

_The whole ship jarred with bone-breaking force. Another shockwave ripped through the structure, throwing the Apprentice across the room. His head struck one of the metal beams and the world rushed away from him._

The piece of the ship was missing now, exposing that heavy, grey sky. It seemed to be offering him something. Freedom, perhaps? A chance to escape from all of this? But he wouldn't take it. He couldn't. That was the 'inferior' way of thinking. If he ran from this now, he would be no better than that pathetic, love-sick fool and then what purpose would he serve?

Using his pain and his hate, he drew on the Force and began to fold stray pieces of metal into that gap. Closing off the world. Closing off escape.

In the darkness the blue lights flickered, highlighting his form limping towards the door. He pried it open with such strength that it was torn from its frame and sent crashing back against the wall. With his hands planted on the frame, he stepped up into the slanted corridor and dragged himself along the walkway. Most of the lights in the corridor were out, casting irregular bands of darkness across his path. The lack of visibility did not matter. He knew where he had to go.

Down the corridor to the junction, turn left, through the large double doors and up to the raised platform. There, on the raised level, was a curved console: his destination.

Walking helped work the stiffness out of his joints. Helped him forget the pains of his injuries. It comforted him, also, to think that the inferior clone had probably come off a lot worse than he had. Which was only to be expected, of course.

And, as he stepped up to the dark consoles, he saw the reflection of his face in the empty display. His nose was clearly broken, his face caked with dried blood. This appearance would not make a good impression when he called upon his master, but he was left with little choice.

Vader would be waiting for his call.

He initiated the start-up system, waiting with some impatience for the display to flicker to life. Many of the screens had been damaged and only three were left functioning after the impact of the crash. Most of the buttons and dials no longer provided any assistance as he tested them for those that worked.

Thankfully, the holographic system had also malfunctioned, keeping his bloodied and battered appearance from sight, though it was likely his master could guess at his state.

The connection took an unbearable length of time.

"The failed clone still lives." Vader's sudden and controlled voice held a strong undertone of anger and disapproval.

The Apprentice had to keep himself from dropping to one knee, momentarily forgetting that Vader couldn't see him. "I am still confident in defeating him, my Master. He was badly wounded during our duel."

"As were you."

"I am still able to fight." The Apprentice snapped; his fear of rejection disguised by anger.

There was a painfully long silence and then; "Perhaps you are still useful to me, after all."

"The clone is not far from the ship, Master. It will not take long to find him."

"No." The word was like a knife, severing him from his thoughts. "You will remain here. Already they make a move to come for you."

"They?"

"General Kota and some natives."

"And what of the clone and the woman?"

"Kill the old man and they will come to you."

"Yes, my Master."

"You will be receiving two activation codes. The first will trigger any surviving droids to aid you in this task."

The Apprentice glowered. "And the second?"

"Will activate the explosive device stored within the ship."

"Explosive device?"

"It should give you enough time to destroy the targets and escape the ship."

"Master, I _am_ strong enough to destroy them."

"But if you should fail, the bomb will not."

The lack of confidence his master had in his abilities disturbed him.

"Do not make me regret giving you this opportunity."

He bowed his head, even though Vader could not see him. "I will not fail you, my Master."

There was no response to that. The connection had been broken and when the Apprentice looked up again, it was to see the activation codes uploading.

"Master thinks you are weak like the other." He hissed under his breath, hands gripping the edge of the console. "You'll show him he's wrong. You'll prove you can do this."

"But what if I fail?" He questioned himself. "No. No I won't. I will take my rightful place at his side."

The activation codes came through and he brought them up on the panel with a trembling hand. The first code – to boot up the droids – seemed to do nothing. He could hear no whirring of servomotors or the chug of blaster barrels coming into operation. Perhaps there were no working droids remaining?

The other code, however, blinked an ominous red timer on the display. Two hours. Just two standard hours to do away with his past and claim his true destiny.

* * *

><p>Kota's voice was echoed by another's.<p>

To his left stood the hunched figure of Terreef, translating his words for the Selonian warriors who had been gathered to help infiltrate the fallen ship. At his right stood PROXY and all around him were the twenty Selonian warriors and the men sent by Viedas to accompany them. All were armed and ready.

The briefing was short and simple. Kota and his men would drop down onto the ship from above whilst the Selonians would enter from the submerged openings, searching through the ship. Contact between the two would be near impossible, due to the language barrier, but the Selonian Captain, Lesew, would carry a com-link on her to alert for trouble. The signal for trouble? A single word: Sith.

She spoke it then, attaching the small com-link to her belt.

"They understand what must be done?" Kota double-checked. He wasn't happy with involving the Selonians at all, particularly without someone to aid them if they found trouble. He just hoped that he found the clone before they did…or that the queen might change her mind and put some trust into him to get this done. But, from what he could tell, she'd decided that to ensure the safety of the den, a small number could easily be sacrificed.

"Search tunnels. Look for Sith. Let you know if you find him. All understood, yes." Terreef answered his question.

"They must not try to engage him if it can be avoided."

"What does this Sith look like?"

Kota paused. "A young male Human. The lightsabers he carries." He held up his own. "Are red. He'll also be wounded, but how so, I can't say."

"General, where will I be?"

"You'll be here, PROXY. That ship is no place for a droid." Kota glanced across at the others who had come to gather. Amongst them were Retto and some of the other young Selonians. "You'll be needed here if anything goes wrong. These people must be protected."

Again he turned to Terreef. "Are you able to barricade the den if the worst happens?"

The greying female gave a low grumble of thought. "We can, though may not get it done in time. Doors are very heavy. Use mainly when the storms come."

"Well, that's where a Jedi can come in handy."

"Handy?"

"Prove useful."

The sound of boots crunched against the shale. "General."

"Ah, and here comes the Jedi right now." Kota turned towards Galen.

He did not look particularly well-rested – Like Kota, he had been lying awake, waiting for the dreaded sign that the clone had made a move – but he was dressed in a new set of clothes; a thin shirt of dark blue crossed over with buckles attaching durasteel spaulders to his shoulders. Dark grey trousers had been bound with bandages from knee to ankle – disappearing into heavy-duty boots. They'd probably been too loose fitting for his liking. The fact that he was wearing armor was also telling; the thin, overlapping plates probably there to protect his already wounded shoulder.

The dark circles beneath his eyes made him seem even more pale than usual but he moved with the same confident swagger as always – hiding his injuries very well. Kota supposed that this was an automatic survival instinct, much like a wild animal would mask its weakness to avoid getting picked off by predators. A lesson taught to him the hard way by Vader, no doubt.

"Good timing, boy. Just got to the part where you come in."

"General…" The younger 'Jedi' faltered, casting a glance across to Terreef. "Can I speak with you a moment?"

"No." The reply was swift. "There's no time for you to be stubborn today." He set a hand on Galen's armored shoulder. "When I'm gone, you can't just sit back and relax. I've got a job for you to do. Well, more than one job, in fact." He dismissed the thought with a wave of a hand. "These people will need you to protect them and lead them into battle if the worst comes to pass."

"Lead people I can't even understand? Wait…battle? Kota—" He shook his head. "—I'm not going to need help."

Kota's eyes flashed. "Help or not. They won't be denied the right to protect their home. Their queen has insisted that her people help oversee this to ensure we don't bring further trouble to their den."

Galen set his jaw.

"Terreef will help you communicate with the Selonians but I'm sure you'll be able to think of some way of getting your message across to them. Now, listen. Your second job involves the protection of these people. If the Sith comes, the dens will need to have been sealed to keep their children, males and – most importantly – their queen safe."

"I'm sure they can handle themselves."

"Against the Sith? Use your head, boy!" He lowered his voice. "They are strong, yes, but they'll be as useless as stormtroopers are up against you."

"I shouldn't be here with them. I should be going with you."

"See, now, I _can_ handle myself."

Galen snorted. "Ever the overconfident one."

"I didn't get this far by lacking faith in my own abilities."

Galen rolled his eyes, looking unconvinced. "And you call me stubborn, old man." And then, with less sarcasm and more concern, he added: "I've got a really bad feeling about this."

_Well, then maybe we're doing something right…_

The words haunted him, blocking out any response that Kota might have given.

Above them the leaden clouds seemed to grow darker still; threatening rain. Without warning, Kota turned back to Terreef. "It is agreed, then. My friend will be staying behind to see to it that no harm comes to your people. It would be wise to choose some warriors to stay and fight at his side. The rest should head into the dens. Make it clear to them that this could be their final battle."

Terreef's eyes hardened with cruel understanding.

"You'll have to get someone to show my friend, here, how to seal up the entrances. It might be best to do it sooner rather than later."

"Yes, Jedi."

With a stern nod, Kota left her side, returning to his warriors – Human and Selonian alike. He paused only to touch at his com-link, making contact with his shuttle. "Bring her down, men."

He turned to see that Galen was still with him.

"Remind me, again, why I'm letting you do this." Galen muttered darkly.

"Because…as you are now, you cannot face him and win."

"What?" He arched a brow, shaking his head disbelievingly.

"You look at him and you see nothing but a reflection of what you might become. You doubt yourself. You doubt your very identity."

Galen looked momentarily stricken.

"You can't beat him like that."

"And what makes you think that you can?" His fists clenched, anger creeping into his tone.

"I'm no fool, boy. Even wounded, that apprentice is far stronger than I am. But, if I can keep him from focusing. If I can turn his emotions back on himself…" He trailed, giving Galen time to catch onto his train of thought. "He is in turmoil. Afraid. Angry and confused. I can use these to my advantage."

"Clones…" Galen whispered, recalling the horrific words of the Cerean medic all that time ago. "Suicidal…you're going to drive him to take his own life."

"It can be done." Kota replied with a stern nod. "Mark my words, boy, it can be done."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	14. Extermination

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

**Note: Apologies for the slight delay in this chapter. I made some last minute plans and ended up being out all day on Saturday. This chapter sees the return of the action. Thanks to all me reviewers/readers/subscribers etc... you're all wonderful! And again, thanks to my beta Liisiko who helps make these chapters so much better!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 14 - Extermination<strong>

**Location - Selonia / XF-32**

* * *

><p>The water was cold and dark and it took Retto's breath away.<p>

Muffled slightly by the water, but still loud, were the sounds of his powerful strokes, though not as loud as the heavier, larger females drawing up all around him. Retto tried to ignore them as he pressed on, kicking his hind legs to propel himself deeper into the sea.

His task was simple: guide the females to the underwater entrance and leave them to their work. Easy. Shamefully easy, in fact. He wouldn't even need to rush. He could hold his breath for ten minutes, if required and the females perhaps slightly longer than that. They wouldn't let him come with them, of course. After all…he was no warrior.

He was a male. A breeder. A possession of the queen's.

Nostrils closed against the onrush of water, he picked up speed and twisted agilely, leveling off to swim beneath an arch of pearl-white coral. Holding his glaive pinned against his stomach, he tilted downwards again, using hind-legs and tail to quicken his descent. Around him the females followed and there, out of the dark, loomed the corpse of the ship. It was a monstrous, angular thing with a face of twisted, ruined metal. Huge geysers of bubbles choked up from a number of gaping tears – including the badly crippled bridge.

He slowed his momentum and lifted a clawed hand, indicating the bridge with the very tip of the obsidian glaive.

Lesew gave him a sharp nod and, all at once, the armed females surged forwards, the sound of their charge deafening.

The young male – not wanting to be left behind – picked up the pace again, diving down after them. But, by the time he reached the opening in the bridge, they were already inside. Only Lesew paused to cast a look back at him, pointing back up to the sky with a snarl. He understood the meaning all too well. He was a male – and a young one at that – and there was no place for him. Not here.

He floated weightlessly in the depths of the sea, the pressure tight against his chest, and watched them merge with the shadow. The sound of their movement in the sea grew quiet and, after a moment, he swam down towards the bridge, clinging to a twisted girder to hold him in place. The ship groaned in warning and he hesitated— but only for a moment. After all…it couldn't hurt to take a quick peek, could it?

Casting any doubts aside, Retto slipped through the gaping tear in the bridge and allowed himself to float slowly across the ruined chamber; full of water, void of life. He tried to imagine what it would have looked like before it had come to settle in its watery grave. Full of lights and humans and surrounded by a sea of stars. A marvel.

By this time, Retto had crossed the expanse of the room and had reached one of the passages leading deeper into the structure. It was the decreasing breath in his lungs that hurried him – rather than his fear of the dark and the loud creaks and groans of the sunken wreck. Navigating the ruined tunnel took a surprising amount of agility, particularly when done at great speed, his long, thin body twisting this way and that to avoid broken pieces of metal and containers that had dropped through from other levels. Spinning up through one of the gaps in the ceiling, he spotted an unnatural blue light touching upon the water above. A moment later and he broke through the surface. He spluttered noisily as he threw his glaive onto the floor and dragged himself out of the water.

Then there was silence – save the steady dripping of water running from his fur.

The room was tilted at an odd angle and above his head the one remaining light sputtered angrily, casting flickering squares of light across the floor and walls. Deep within the ship's belly, a distant crash echoed. The sound of it rattled beneath Retto's splayed toes. Up ahead – down one of the ruined corridors – he heard a shuffle of movement – and bent to retrieve his glaive from the ground; holding it up defensively. He was not particularly strong or skilled. He was average in height and probably below average in intelligence. He had yet to sire a litter. Yet to prove his worth to the den. But to prove his worth, he only need to provide children. He shouldn't have been in a dark ship. He _should_ have been swimming back to the shore, preparing to hide with the others in the safety of the sealed dens. A part of him almost wanted to be there, too. But there was another part of him that wanted to stay. To prove to the females that he could be useful in other aspects of Selonian life.

He took a slow step forwards, mounting the rubble that filled the main corridor, and crawled through the narrow opening between ceiling and carnage. The going was tough. A spike of metal carved a fiery line into the small of his back, forcing him to flatten himself further. Hooking his claws on the edges of the metal proved useful in dragging himself through the decreasing gap. Some of the fallen panels shifted dangerously underfoot; tipping him sideways into the wall.

Surely the females had not come this way?

Was it better for him if they had not?

Without warning, a piece of grating came loose beneath his hands. He pitched forwards, the glaive jamming firmly and wrenching free from his grip. The unexpected motion jarred his shoulder as he crashed headlong into the floor.

He tried – and failed – to muffle a cry of pain. Stars flashed briefly in his eyes, sending his head into a momentary spin. He almost expected to hear Lesew's angry shriek, screaming at him to go back the way he came. But there was no one there.

The room he had fallen into was small, round and filling with water from a gouged hole in the flooring. There were no lights on at all but Retto's eyes worked best in darkness. In fact, looking around, there weren't any lights on in the corridors beyond, either. Perhaps the generator for this deck had given out?

Staggering back to his feet, he turned back to work his glaive free, only to find it stuck fast. Growling, he set both hands on the shaft – side by side – and planted his hind feet up against the wall of debris; putting his whole weight into the effort. His efforts were rewarded with a horrible cracking sound which resounded throughout the chamber. And, as the weapon came free, Retto was bowled roughly backwards, striking the back of his head against the floor panels.

He saw the flashing lights again.

In his hands, he held the broken fragments of his weapon. The shaft had split right through the center; splintered and sharp and completely impossible to repair in his current predicament. The balance of the weight for each half was off; one bearing the obsidian spearhead and the other a cluster of vicious barbs. Now, they felt as graceless as a mace or a club and he swung them testily. Duel-wielding was not the Selonian way, but he was also reluctant to cast one piece away lest he come to need it later.

A distant whirring sound drew his attention.

It was not the call of a Selonian, nor the strange, garbled voice of the Jedi warrior. Neither was it the mere groans of a dying ship. It sounded—well, actually, it reminded Retto of an insect; a very large, winged insect. But whatever it was, it was moving fast, the horrible drone growing louder and louder until he felt that his ears might burst.

Then there was light.

It streamed down the corridor, pooling into the room with an intensity that rivaled the sun.

And Retto – with his sensitive eyes – was rendered blind, lifting an arm to cast a shadow across his face. Even that was not enough.

Blind from the light and disorientated by the incessant droning, Retto did not recognize the threat until it was too late. The beam of light – with its wide arc – focused in on him, becoming a thin line that touched down on the center of his chest. The droning became a strange mechanical clicking sound and, in that moment, fear flared.

The Selonian tried to throw himself sideways, but the first of the laser fire caught him in the shoulder; sending him spinning to the ground.

He was still lying on the floor, in the throes of agony, when the second round of fire hit its mark.

* * *

><p>Kota had left the shuttle behind in the pilot's care with only one piece of advice: "At any sign of trouble, get the ship away from here." Then he and his newly acquired troupe dropped down through a huge, broken hatch and into the ship.<p>

"Weapons at the ready, men." Kota growled. "And watch your step."

Behind him, the men activated the lights mounted on their protective headgear and stepped up alongside him, fanning out to scan the huge chamber – its use unknown, as it was empty save for a scattering of broken containers. The beam of a sniper rifle tracked across the shadowed floor. It was one of theirs.

Giving the signal, Kota leapt across the room, flattened against the far wall and peered down into the curved walkway beyond. His Force vision allowed him to see whether in the dark or not, giving him a clear advantage over anything else that might be lurking in the gloom.

The way was clear and he beckoned the men to follow him, leading the way with sure and confident steps.

By now he was certain that the Selonians were making their way steadily through the lower levels of the ship. The com-link had remained ominously silent, but in this case, he hoped that no news meant good news.

"You think only the Sith is in here, Sir?" One of the men ventured, his voice coarse.

"Hard to say." Kota did not trust that the mission would go so easily. In his experience, such things rarely did.

The com-link crackled. "Giles to Kota. Do you copy?" It was the pilot.

"Go ahead, Giles."

"I'm getting some strange readings on the motion sensors, Sir."

"The Selonians?"

"Could be, Sir, but I think it unlikely."

Kota gritted his teeth. "Care to share your theories?"

The pilot hastened. "Too many to be just the Selonians. There is something else on that ship. From the readings, I'd hazard a guess that they're droids."

"Which decks?"

"Hard to say for certain. The lower decks are showing the greatest readings, but they're dotted across the entire ship."

"Thanks for the warning." Kota cut the transmission, hooking the link back to his belt. "You heard him, men, be extra vigilant."

Suddenly the ship seemed to have gained a threatening presence. Any strange sound or imagined movement had them twitching nervously, seeking the shadows with their eyes. Kota's hand was set firmly across the hilt of his sheathed saber; ready to draw at the slightest sign of trouble. With their current passage blocked, they were forced to take an unprecedented detour, breaking through a vent cover and crawling down through the ducts which were – mostly – intact.

Kota paused at each grate beneath him to peer into the rooms below, each one dark and some filling with water from passages that had already flooded. After perhaps fifty meters of crawling in the confined space, the vent began to widen out, dropping sharply for about five meters. The leap was not difficult for the Jedi, who was forced to aid his companions with a cushion of Force to slow their descent and avoid broken limbs that – down here – could prove fatal.

Using the Force, Kota pried the grate away from the exit of the venting system and set it down with care. The low thump of it meeting the floor was, thankfully, barely audible beneath the sound of flowing water.

"Jak, cover us with sniper fire from here."

"Yes, Sir."

Trusting the others would follow him, Kota led the way quietly across the huge room. This was a smaller docking bay – its doors closed tightly. Three huge cranes had toppled, bringing down power cables and other apparatus which now littered the floor. On the far side, water was pooling in from one of the higher passageways, streaming down across the floor to gather at the lowest point. Some of the power cables still sparked and hissed and Kota was wary of possible electrocution. Two small and ruined shuttles had dragged across the floor during the crash and lay in ruins. Kota stepped across the wings, seeking higher ground to get a better view of their surroundings.

Behind him the men fanned out, turning constantly to ensure all angles were covered, fingers ready on the triggers of their blasters.

"All clear." Kota informed, drawing in a short breath. He could not help but feel uneasy. As if…as if they were being watched. But he could no longer feel the presence of Vader's new apprentice. He had expected to, once he entered the ship, but there was nothing. Nothing at all.

A sharp crack resounded, followed by a terrified scream.

Kota whirled.

"Almar!"

A distant cry of agony filtered up and Kota's heavy boots rang against the metal grids. "What happened?"

"Almar. He fell through the floor!"

Others came charging over to help.

"Watch your step. Watch your step!" Kota warned, his voice uncomfortably loud.

Thankfully they listened, skidding to a halt on the treacherous flooring.

"Almar!" One of the other soldiers was yelling, crawling across the deck to peer over the edge of the gaping hole. "You alright, buddy?"

"No. No. I can't move!"

"Hang on; we're coming to get you." He lifted his head to peer across at Kota – his torch highlighting the hard edges of the General's face. "Aren't we, Sir?"

"We'll try and find a way down."

The com-link buzzed again and Kota lifted the device. "Kota here."

"Jedi!" It was Lesew.

"Lesew? What are—uh—Sith? You found the Sith?"

"No. No Sith. No." Her voice was rushed and just before she was cut off – she'd switched into her native tongue. Staring down at the silent device, Kota barely had time to consider the meaning of what she had been trying to convey before a warning shout echoed through the chamber.

"Get DOWN!"

The old Jedi leapt back to his feet, the saber coming to life in his hand.

* * *

><p>The droids had come from nowhere.<p>

From what Lesew could tell, they were low-flying things and spherical in shape – until they started firing. Then they seemed to transform – legs folding out from their bellies to lock them to the ground. Then the harmless, bright-eyed droids became turrets with incredible and devastating firepower.

Her second-in-command had died in her arms – caught in the head and chest by the first wave of the droids. And there, kneeling by her side, she had attempted to make contact with the Jedi—and failed. They had not planned for this. They had not planned for what to say if an enemy – other than the Sith – was found here in the dark confines of the ruined ship.

She did not know the word for what these things were.

And then the second wave had come.

She dropped her friend's body to the ground, swinging her glaive up into a defensive posture. By luck, the shot meant for her, bounced from the flat of the obsidian blade, reflecting it back and giving her time to pounce through the gap to land a kill. They had learned, quickly, that attacking the drones in close combat was the way to victory. They were more like mobile turrets than actual droids, and when their targets came close, their guns seemed to become inoperative.

Floundering and unable to attack, it was only a matter of cracking through their shells to destroy the circuits hidden beneath.

Unfortunately, unless you were lucky – or incredibly skilled – you were usually dead or badly wounded before being able to get in close.

Lesew brought the jagged edge of her glaive down, splintering shell and weapon both. She lanced again, working the blade deep through into the electronics.

The droid exploded, the armored shards like glass; embedding in her unprotected body.

Squealing in rage and pain, she whipped around to aid her team. Another had fallen, back arched in pain, glaive waving in the air to ward off another attack. The turret-droids zoned in on her and turned her to ribbons.

Lesew, with an angry battle cry, lunged again, crashing headlong into the closest turret. Unfortunately, the legs locked into the flooring so that they could not be simply pushed over. It was like slamming into a wall. One of the Selonians jumped towards them and the turrets aimed and fired. Their laser-fire lanced through her torso like a hot knife through butter and, the ceiling caved in, falling down to crush her lifeless body.

The stormy sky opened up above them. Letting in the grey sky. Letting in the rain.

Lesew drove forwards, cutting the next droid deep in a single thrust.

She caught a glancing blow across her shoulder and moved to defend herself. But a comrade was there to aid her, using the barbs of her glaive to prise off the shell and expose the vulnerable circuitry beneath. She reached in and tore the wires from the droid's body, shrieking with battle-lust.

Then it was over.

"Check the bodies." Lesew ordered, though she knew it would be a futile effort. Of the twenty Selonians, only fourteen now remained; the others lying lifeless all around them. The survivors shook their heads grimly and no one spoke.

"Let's—" She paused, tilting her ears back. "More are coming. Everybody down. Get down."

They flattened themselves to the floor, pressing close to the bodies of their fallen companions or the rubble that had fallen in on them during the fight.

The drones came.

The drones passed.

Like insects, they swarmed through the room, not even pausing before rising up to fly up through the gaping hole in the side of the ship. Out into the stormy world.

"Where do they go?" One warrior dared to ask.

Lesew blinked. "They go to fight."

* * *

><p>Terreef had shown Galen the huge 'doors' that could be rolled across the entrances of the dens via a complicated looking pulley system. She had also assured him that gentle application of the Force would not ruin the mechanics. Even still, it was with very slow and gentle pressure that Galen used to shift the doors into the closed position, not liking the sound of the creaking cables. From just inside the entrances, faces peered back at him. Afraid, curious and uncertain. He watched the shadow fall across their eyes before the door came down and severed their line of sight.<p>

He could not help but feel partially responsible for what had happened. He had brought this down upon them. This danger; this fear. Kota was right. They needed to protect the people here. It was their duty.

Turning back, he met each pair of eyes in turn. Twenty-two in all. These were the volunteers, the ones who were risking their lives in order to protect the others. All were female and all of them were far taller than him, with their clawed hands fastened tightly on their weapons. Some bore the scars of past battles but none of them wore any kind of armor to protect themselves. Yet, they stood upright and proud and courageous. Their large eyes were calm and respectful. They could have been the eyes of Jedi.

"We can dig trenches in the soil to create cover." Galen started, knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to understand him. Somehow it just felt better to talk his thoughts through.

He felt for the Force lying dormant in the sand, waiting to be called, and gave it life. With a pushing motion of his hands, he carved into the sand with no effort at all, cutting a deep scrape in the shore and leaving the shifted sand to act as a wall to further protect them from unfriendly eyes. Thankfully, the Selonians were quick to follow his lead. Their claws were adept at cutting through the sand, creating huge trenches with little effort at all. Within minutes, every soldier had carved herself a masking shelter in the sand. It would not save their lives if they were hit directly but it could offer them some cover and the advantage of surprise.

"How are you getting on?" Juno's voice crackled over the link.

"Fine—though this would go a lot easier if they could understand me."

"Leading by example seems to work."

He turned to throw a glance across at the _Rogue Shadow_ and wished he was there with her. Not out on the shore in the hazy rain. "Have you readied the ship for takeoff?"

"Already done." She quipped.

"Then get yourself up in the air, Eclipse." His voice was firm but teasing.

"Don't take that authoritative tone with me, Marek." She teased back, though he could hear the tension creep into her voice. She was worrying already. "If it gets too hot, I'll be pulling you out of there."

"I'll let you know." And then, with a more concerned tone: "Any word from Kota?"

"Not yet."

He heard the engines fire up and, reluctantly, turned his attention back to the soldiers. Some had already hunkered down in their hollows, pressed against the wall of sand that concealed them from view. Others stood; silent sentries gazing out to sea. He stepped up alongside them and pointed towards the newly dug trenches. "Stay." He hoped they would understand.

"Galen!"

He startled. "Juno?"

"I'm picking up readings on the sensors."

"Readings? What sort of readings?"

"A dozen—missiles? No, wrong heat intensity. Wait, getting a visual." She paused. "Droids. Galen, they're heading straight for you. At their velocity they'll be on you in moments."

"PROXY. Have we come across these before?"

"No, Master. Nothing in the data. It would be safe to assume that they are attack droids."

"And they're flying?"

"Yes." The droid confirmed.

"Juno, take the ship up. Stay out of their firing range."

"No. I can provide air support."

"Juno—"

"—Here they come!"

And through the hazy rain, they appeared; dark orbs shining from the rain, gliding with a smooth and unhindered movement. Not even the increasing winds seemed to slow or divert them.

Around him the Selonians had not yet spotted the danger. Their eyesight was poor and their nostrils were filled with the scent of sea and rain. He pointed to the sky and roared. "Danger! Enemy!" And though it was incorrect: "Sith!" They reacted instantly, readying their weapons; the last few dropping down into the trenches to seek cover.

Galen stepped forwards to meet the tide; foam-flecked waves lapping at the toes of his boots. Automatically, he reached for the power of the Force and drew it up to aid him; curling his fingers to concentrate its energy. Then he waited. Blue lightning crackled briefly across his forearms but still he waited. The looming forms of the droids came closer and only when they were within reach did he release the energy. Electricity burst forth from the tips of his fingers, igniting the drops of rain and snapping angrily against the waves. He could feel the power crackling across his skin and then the pulses of energy as the bolts struck true. Five of the droids were engulfed and three of them plummeted into the sea. The remaining two plowed on relentlessly and, only at the last moment, did Galen drop his stance and roll to the side, narrowly avoiding being rundown by the persistent little attackers.

Rolling across the sand, he found his feet again and blasted a spear of Force power across at them. This did cause them to falter, both dropping to the ground – but not because they were defeated. Four legs folded out from their once circular forms, stabbing deep into the sand beneath them. And, with a strange whirring, their mounted lasers kicked into action.

Thankfully the previous attacks had caused some damage. Their aim went wild, the hail of bullets kicking up clouds of sand; leaving deep pockmarks in the shore.

The sound of fire echoed somewhere behind him, followed by a cry of pain. He raised a wall of Force and shoved it roughly forwards. The legs – buried deep in sand – wrenched upwards and set both droids off balance.

"More incoming! Two o'clock!" Juno reported. "I'm bringing the ship around."

Galen had no time to argue.

Throwing himself clear of blaster fire, he rolled, regained his feet and lunged forwards. His hand snapped back, the hilt of his saber cradled there in his palm. With a sharp twist, he raised the lightsaber and thumbed the activation switch. The brilliant, blue blade sliced through the air; hissing and steaming in the rain.

The Rogue Shadow roared overhead, its fire ripping across the ground, hitting the droids across from him; turning them to dust.

Galen leapt in to finish off any that might have survived and above him the ship turned on a wingtip and surged out across the sea to meet with the second wave of droids.

Behind him the sound of combat drew his attention and he whirled back to help defend the Selonians from the droids that remained. Already one of the warriors lay dead – or dying – in her trench. Around her, others had grouped up to confuse the turrets' targeting, whilst others huddled in their defensive positions and lanced out at any droids that came close by.

Galen tightened his grip on his saber and charged into the fray.

* * *

><p>Three men dead and another seriously wounded.<p>

This mission was not going well. And, if Lesew's last transmission was anything to go by, things were not looking good with her group, either.

Kota had been unable to contact her since her last transmission had been cut, though he hoped it was because she'd chosen to go dark rather than meeting an untimely end.

His pilot had also informed him that some of the attack droids had broken free of the ship and were heading in the direction of the Selonian den site. Kota hoped that Galen would be ready for the trouble heading his way.

"The _Rogue Shado_w has engaged." Giles informed over the com-link.

Kota mumbled inaudibly under his breath in response.

"Sir?" One of his men cast him a questioning look. Kota waved it off.

"Sir! There's something up ahead!"

"Sniper. With me." Motioning Jak forward, they descended together down a short flight of stairs. There, he signaled for the man to halt and went on alone, into the dark. On the far side, a large metal grid had fallen across the open doorway. A fizz of electric cables lit up the room beyond with unpredictable, flickering light.

With a grunt, he used the Force to pull the grid back away from the door – moving it just enough to pass by. Then, after a moment of listening to silence, he signaled for the others to follow with a wave of his emerald saber. When he turned back it was to see a soft light emanating from the corridor he had just opened up.

Frowning, Kota stalked forwards, sweeping out an arm to emphasize his next order: "Spread out, men. I need all those exits covered." Not wasting time, he loped up to the raised platform and leaned over the display. In the center of the screen a timer flared.

"Giles, you read me?"

"I read you, General."

"I'm going to need your help slicing into the mainframe." He set his jaw, suddenly wishing that he had arranged for PROXY to come with them.

"I can try."

"You'd better do more than just 'try' if you want to get off of this planet alive." His patience was waning. "I need you to find out what this is counting down to."

"A countdown, Sir?"

"That is what I just said, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"—Less talk, more work." Kota interrupted, tapping his fingers across the keys in a lame attempt at unlocking the console. A warning flared vibrantly and – as if burnt – he snatched his hands away. "Any luck?"

"Not yet…" The pilot already sounded harassed.

"General." The sniper hissed. "Someone's coming."

Kota turned, blade firing up in his hand as he bounded across the room; dropping into a crouch by the door. If it was the clone then he needed to be ready. It would be a fight of words that would win this for him, not strength. And, against a mad clone, it was a powerful weapon indeed.

He reached out into the corridor with the Force and there, hidden in darkness, came six figures. Their forms were illuminated as they moved towards them.

Selonians.

"Weapons down. It's Lesew." His face was grim. "There are few of them left."

They drew back away from the corridor and, when the sound of their clawed feet became audible, Kota called out to them.

"Jedi?" The voice was hoarse and filled with pain.

"Jedi." Kota confirmed.

And then, out of the dark, the last of the Selonian warriors came. Lesew and another held a wounded one between them. Three others trailed behind. All were injured but some far worse than others.

"I am sorry." Kota apologized.

Lesew looked up. Her fur was damp from another recent plunge and her face was badly scored. Her chest and stomach had been peppered with shards of broken droid. The wounds oozed thick with blood. She sagged to one knee to relieve herself of the weight of her injured companion and her helper followed.

"Sith?" Lesew questioned wearily.

"No. No Sith." Kota knelt, pressing a hand to the base of the unconscious Selonian's throat. No pulse fluttered beneath his finger tips. She was dead. He looked up and Lesew saw all she needed to in his expression. Dipping her head, she let the body of her fallen comrade come to rest on the cold, hard floor.

Lesew spoke slowly in her native tongue. As one, the survivors pressed their glaives over their hearts and bowed their heads. Kota and his men bowed their heads, too.

It was with great reluctance, however, that he was forced to interrupt the memorial silence. "Lesew…"

Her ears twitched before falling flat and she lifted her ruined face to look at him.

"You must go."

She continued to stare, not comprehending his words.

Kota grabbed her shoulder and gave it a rough shake, not at all intimidated by her towering height as she stood. "Go. Leave. Run. Not Sith. Go up to the ship. Go back to your people."

"No underst—"

"—Lesew!" Kota snarled. "Go!"

Her brows furrowed but the message seemed to have gotten through. She swept a look over her remaining warriors and drew up her shoulders with determination. She took a moment to collect herself and then she gave a barking order and the survivors drew closer still.

Her eyes snapped back to Kota's face and they were filled with steely determination. Then, as one, they moved on through the room and disappeared.

Kota wasn't sure whether she was leading them to safety or leading them to battle. He hoped it was the former. Hoped they managed to reach the ship and get to safety. Too many Selonian lives had been lost already.

"Sir? Won't we need their help?"

"No. Not anymore." He turned back to the console. "Giles? Any news?"

"…Yes, Sir. But—it's not good."

"It never is."

* * *

><p>"Still no word from Kota?" Galen growled, arching his blade to fend off yet another droid.<p>

"No." Juno sounded preoccupied and, looking up, he could see why. Three droids had intercepted her flight path and the_ Rogue Shadow_ tilted swiftly to avoid suffering any real damage.

Wiping the rain from his eyes, he stepped back up into formation.

The latest wave of orb-shaped droids had been accompanied by smaller scuttling droids that had hitched rides on their flying counterparts. They darted about underfoot, attempting to herd up the 'prey' for the turrets to shoot down. Galen crushed one beneath his boot and it spasmed wildly, lashing him beneath the knee; drawing blood. He kicked it aside and plunged forwards with the others, all directing their attacks on the same droid.

By expanding a field of Force energy, Galen had managed to keep everyone on their feet – save two. The downside was that it was a tiring ability. It took a lot of focus to sustain the defense of his team as well as press the attack. Thankfully, the Selonians were not hesitant in their advance.

Above his head, fire bloomed; the _Rogue Shadow_, having landed a successful volley of blaster fire, rolled to avoid the third remaining droid.

Galen tried not to notice the plume of smoke trailing from the ship's left wing.

One arm snapped forwards, driving Force power up through the air; engulfing the small, armored droid. It was easy to pull the floating turret from the sky, slamming it into the waves.

Behind him, a Selonian screeched with pain and he turned to see another wave of droids descending. One of the warriors lay prone on the ground – suffering from deep lacerations from the 'herder' droids. Her comrades had already moved in to surround and protect her, though it left them vulnerable to attack.

"How many more of these things are there?" Galen called out, hastening to join them.

Up above: "I'm coming around for another attack."

"How's the ship holding up?" He swung his saber, swatting a droid roughly from the air. It gouged deep into the sand, trailing black smoke and fizzling angrily.

"She's fine."

"PROXY?"

"The Captain is correct, Master." The droid reported without missing a beat.

He heard Juno's exasperated huff over the link.

With a wry twist of his mouth, Galen shoved through the Selonian huddle and took the lead, swinging the vibrant blade with fluid grace. The droids turned towards him, their glowing 'eyes' flaring as they dropped to the ground; legs finding purchase, weaponry calibrating.

The rain fell.

Blasters fired.

The high keening of the lightsaber as it swung pierced the stormy winds, deflecting each shot with lightning fast reflexes. Some went hissing back into the waves, others into the air or burning into the grey sand. One hit a droid, though it bounced harmlessly off of that smooth, thick shell. The same shot carved a deep hole into the sand just in front of Galen's feet.

"Transmission from Kota's shuttle." Juno's voice sounded tense. The ship dipped low over their heads, tilted sharply to avoid blaster fire and released a missile that punched into rabble of approaching droids. It banked steeply into a barrel roll and then pulled level.

Galen peered through the rain, leaping in to defend the unprotected back of a Selonian warrior.

"Galen."

He inhaled sharply, spinning the blade around his hand to defend against more incoming fire.

"They found a bomb."

It took him a moment for the words to sink in, and then: "A _what_?"

"A bomb. They're trying to disarm it."

"Why? Wait—where's the clone?" His voice strained as he disengaged with one foe to strike at another. A herder droid leapt for him and he knocked it back; catching the brunt of its attack on his defending forearm. The collision sent a bolt of pain through his shoulder injury. Even breathing was becoming more difficult now; each intake of air burning painfully in his chest.

"It's been set to detonate. Galen, if it goes off—"

—A tidal wave of roaring, devastating sea. Crashing against the shore, the rocks, flooding the dens. Selonians unable to escape: crushed, broken, drowned. The cities above in ruins…

His fist closed over his com-link and he swore colorfully. "I can use the Force to protect the dens." _Maybe_. "But I doubt I'll be able to stop it entirely." And then the other issue; "if the clone isn't on the ship, Juno, then where is he?"

* * *

><p>Lesew's com-link had rolled out of reach, impossibly distant, but she stretched out for it anyway, her clawed fingers grasping in vain. Almost blinded with pain, she was barely aware of the boot heel that crushed the device into a hundred pieces. Barely aware of the shadow that had fallen over her. Her other hand pressed tightly over a deep, slashing wound in her stomach; smoking and cauterized.<p>

And then there was a low laugh in the darkness and the fur on her neck bristled.

A cold hand touched the side of her face, soft at first and then suddenly painful; jerking her head up, twisting her spine.

Lesew had always prided herself on her courage and her strength. She had outmatched all other females in combat. She had risen to a position of respect and maintained it for many years. She had been proud and brave and certain in her strength. Yet, in no time at all, outsiders had invaded their world and shown her that she was weak. Incredibly weak. They had fought and fallen at the hands of machines and, now, to this Sith.

And this Sith…he smelt of blood and fury. He looked like…like the Jedi left back on the beach and she couldn't understand why.

Had the Jedi tricked them? Had she died for nothing? Would her den perish and her queen die?

The fight came back into her eyes, but the Sith must have seen it, because his grip on her jaw tightened and she heard the sharp crack of bone. Blood filled her mouth. She screamed – an act which turned out to be a mistake – as her broken jaw exploded in rippling agony. The sound of her cry echoed back to her again and again and again. The blood hit the floor with a steady, 'pat-pat'.

And then he was speaking soft and low to her, with the tone of a mother comforting its pup. The hand not gripping her broken face stroked soothingly along her neck, almost as if she were some poor, dying pet. She tried to move again and his cruel hand tightened, jerking her broken jaw again. Fresh blood seeped into her mouth and her breath gurgled loudly.

Then he moved away and she turned an eye to look at his form silhouetted against a gaping hole in the side of the ship. Rain hammered against the twisted durasteel and, for the first time, she felt the air's cold touch on her burning face. She yearned to move closer, to wet her fur, to taste it on the tip of her tongue. And, despite everything, she thought to herself, it was a good day to die.

The Sith spoke again and she saw the blaze of his golden eyes. And if she understood nothing else, she understood this much: there was madness there. This was not the same man she had met on the shore. Of that, she was certain.

With invisible hands, she was wrenched up from the floor, the very tips of her claws brushing against the metal grille. Thick blood dripped heavily from her mouth, though the sound of the heavy patter was masked by the rain outside.

He stalked towards her, a band of cruel, red light coming to life in his hand. He spoke again; low and mocking.

She did not react.

Nor did she react when he raised his crimson blade. Twice he feigned a strike for her neck. But when it did finally cut, she did not feel its bite.

And across the ship and down to the shore, the wave of his presence rippled through the Force.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	15. Weakness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: More action for you today! Thanks again to all of my reviewers/subscribers and readers and to Liisiko who has been such a great help, as always! **

**Also, a semi-important notice:**** Due to the fact that I'm spending a lot of time researching my later chapters before I can write them, I'm going to have to change my update schedule to every two weeks instead of every week. This may be on a temporary basis, but it may not. So, the next update will be on: 29th October.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 15 - Weakness<strong>

**Location: Selonia / XF-32**

* * *

><p>The shift in the Force was like a slap to the face, tripping Galen's calculated strike. His saber lodged into his latest victim and the droid hung there, stuck on the blade; hissing wildly. His eyes wrenched across the sea and in the long moments that followed, the last of the turret droids fell.<p>

"That looks like the last of them." Juno reported, the _Rogue Shadow_ doing another sweep of the area.

"Juno." Galen touched the com. "He's still on that ship."

"The clone?"

"Yes. I felt his presence." The shriek of breaking servomotors distracted him momentarily. The Selonians were clearing up the last of the herder droids, destroying them with perhaps more aggression than necessary.

"Fighting Kota?"

"I—no, not yet. This has gone on long enough. You need to—" Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "—Hang on a sec."

He turned to see one of the Selonians standing beside him. She was tall with a fur of the darkest shade of brown. Her large, liquid eyes were hard to read, but the lines on her brow were not. She looked worried.

"Are you wounded?" Galen asked, trying to remain patient.

"Retto." The Selonian replied, cutting him off. "Retto…" She trailed helplessly, not knowing any other words to get her message across.

Thankfully, Galen remembered the name of the young male Selonian and cast a brief glance around at the faces. "Retto's not here? Is he supposed to be?"

"I think he was guiding the females down to the submerged bridge." Juno interrupted.

"Should he have been back by now?"

"From what Knim told me about their males, I can't imagine they would have allowed him to stay and fight."

Galen met the Selonian's silent gaze and knew what she suspected. "The droids…"

"Could have attacked him. Yes."

Dead, then, unless he had been able to dive and find cover under the sea.

The Selonian's hand dropped, clearly thinking the worst, and she turned back to the others. Already they had begun lifting the two bodies from where they had fallen; setting them gently on a bed of sand. The relentless rain washed the gritty sand from their fur. The remains of droids littered the shore, some being caught by the waves and dragged back out to sea.

"Juno. Listen to me. I need you to get me to that ship."

"What if there are more droids?"

"There aren't."

"You don't know that."

"We _need_ to go after Kota." Galen insisted.

"And what if we do more harm than good?"

"He needs our help."

There was a momentary hesitation and then: "Okay, I'm coming around. Clear the way."

* * *

><p>"Almost there. Almost there…" Giles was clearly apprehensive.<p>

"Hurry it up. We're running out of time." Kota threw a glance over his shoulder, aware that the clone could appear at any moment. Aware that he had already run into the Selonians. Aware that they were probably all dead. Time was running out.

"Got it! We're in."

Kota's hands flashed across the display. "Yes. _Yes_. This is it."

Text filtered across the screen at a rapid pace before it hitched yet again; a warning sign flashing up on the display.

"Damn, another block. The system is well protected, General. I don't know if we'll—"

"—Is the _Rogue Shadow_ still engaged?"

"I don't know. Would you like me to try and make contact?"

"No. No. Forget it. Just focus on breaking through these security systems. Can you stop the detonator without me at the console?"

"I may need you to accept the override once I've sliced into the system."

The elderly Jedi gave a groan of frustration. "Okay, keep working on it. If you manage to get through send some static over the line."

"Sir?"

"I might not be able to—"

He was cut off by the sound of a sudden shout and, turning, he saw one of Viedas' men raise his blaster rifle and take aim. The single shot cut a red line through the air, disappearing into the same tunnel the Selonians had left by. Where the clone had been all this time, Kota was not sure, but he'd clearly been waiting for an opportune moment to show himself.

Now would be as good a time as any, he supposed.

The rifleman, who had clearly missed with his first shot, took aim again. The vibrating hum of a lightsaber reverberated around the chamber and the shot was sent back, piercing the man straight through the chest. His eyes bulged and, with a muffled croak, he tipped backwards and fell hard against the floor.

Jak scrambled up onto the debris of the far console and hunkered down to take aim just as the clone's silhouette filled the entrance of the chamber. Jak fired with expert precision and the clone leaned to the side to dodge; the shot skimming the edge of his arm. In the same motion his saber extinguished and the hand came up; sending a surge of blue lightning scuttling across the floor, engulfing the sniper and filling the room with the smell of burnt flesh. Jak's cries of agony had one of the men abandon his post but the clone used the Force to drag him back into the room. He flung the body as if it were a rag doll and the soldier's bones made a sickening crack as they broke against the wall of the large chamber.

Kota leapt forwards to defend the survivors; the band of green coming to life in his hand.

The Apprentice stalked closer and turned his head quizzically towards the old Jedi. His face – reflected with blue and green light – distorted into a horrific smirk. "So, here's where you've been hiding, old man." The red saber hummed to life again and he raised his other hand high – a hefty object swinging in his grasp. It took Kota a few disbelieving seconds to realize what it was that he held.

The severed head of a Selonian warrior dangled there in his hand; her dead eyes glazed in the cruel, red light. The notches across the broken muzzle were easily identifiable.

It was Lesew.

A sickening crawl started in Kota's gut and the hand on his saber trembled with barely contained disgust.

Amusement gleamed in the Apprentice's unnatural eyes. "Pitiful creatures, aren't they? Weak. Fragile. I expected so much more. What a disappointment…"

"So you finally show yourself." Kota replied through a scowl. "I had begun to suspect that you had crept off in fear."

The Apprentice gave him a haughty look and, lowering his arm, threw the severed head towards the Jedi. It rolled just short of reaching him and green joined the crimson reflecting in her dead, glassy eyes.

"Merely looking for entertainment." The Sith's eyes flicked dismissively around the room. "You were a fool to bring them here." He stepped forwards and Kota heard the soldiers instinctively move to retreat.

Of the ten who had accompanied him into the ship, only four now remained standing and one of those was heavily favoring his left leg.

The clone lunged for the nearest but Kota was quick to intervene; green against red. Vader's apprentice arched a brow, seemingly unimpressed.

"So, you find superiority in attacking the weak?" Kota scoffed.

"And you find it in attacking those who are far stronger than you?" Another smirk crawled across the mad clone's face.

"Stronger?" Kota's brows drew together. "We will see." He pushed back against the crimson blade and twisted out of harm's way, spinning the blade out to clash again. The buzz of energy was strangely intoxicating and the sudden flurry of attacks sent the room into a manic spin of light.

* * *

><p>The wind and rain was in his face, in his clothes, in his lungs and he balanced on the very edge, peering down at the XF-32 as it teetered beneath him; distant at first and then terrifyingly close. With a double thump against the hull - to signal his leave - Galen threw himself clear of the <em>Rogue Shadow<em> and plummeted down to the ship below.

Landing on his feet on the sloped and slippery hull had seemed like a good idea at the time. Until, of course, he actually _did_ land. His boots failed to gain a good grip, throwing him mercilessly backwards. His arms came out to counteract the unbalance, driving his shoulders forward to prevent himself from being pitched into the sea.

He paused. Took a breath. Then swung down from the ledge, crashing through an already damaged viewport and rolling back to his feet. The room creaked as if irritated by his presence and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the flickering gloom.

"Alright. I'm in." His voice echoed; as did his footsteps as he edged carefully across the floor. A thin film of water covered the metal grate, though at this level, it was probably from the rain rather than the sea. Thin lines of water fed in from the ceiling, spattering angrily against his armor. Dragging the back of a hand across his eyes, he pulled himself through into a ruined corridor and began the task of navigating the wreckage.

"Kota's pilot – Giles – is still trying to disarm the bomb. Kota's down in the control room. Do you need guiding?"

"No. Help the other pilot. Get PROXY on the case, too."

He knew where Kota and the clone were. He could feel their presence.

"Okay. Stay safe."

He felt the tremors in the Force from Kota's duel with the Sith and hastened his pace.

There was no time to lose.

* * *

><p>Kota would have struggled regardless, but having the soldiers there was certainly more burden than help. Under normal circumstances, they could have been given opportunities to find a defensible position and stay out of harm's way whilst they took out their enemy. Against a Force user, however, they were merely distractions and that was one thing Kota could not afford.<p>

Out in the field, these men would have dropped back to allow Kota to advance, watching his back from a safe distance and ensuring no one saw fit to interfere. Circumstances, on this occasion, had all but forbidden it.

Their fear was strong and Kota could hear the shaking chatter of their fingers against triggers.

Twice now, the clone had feinted an attack at one of the soldiers to bring about a weakness in Kota's defense. Twice he had failed – but only just. A tear in Kota's left sleeve spoke of the cruel mark left behind by the clone's saber—and the near miss.

"Tell me. What lies has Vader fed you this time? Will you fall into the same trap as your original did?" The old Jedi provoked as they circled each other.

"There are_ no_ lies." The clone bristled.

"Have you learned nothing from your memories?"

"I have no memories."

"Nothing?" Kota asked, edging slowly around the room to come between the clone and Viedas' men once more. "Nothing at all? Ah, but I think we both know that isn't true. What did you call me when you first arrived?"

The clone merely tightened his grip on his saber.

"Old man, wasn't it?" Kota goaded. "Surely not a coincidence? I recall the original Starkiller – and his sane clone – being fond of referring to me as such."

"Shut up!"

"So they _do_ trouble you, then? These non-existent memories?" Kota's tone became less taunting and more pitying.

With a roar, the clone drove forwards, forcing Kota to retreat with his ever strengthening attacks. The swift, single, red blade drew fiery patterns in the dark – which halted for just a second when he reached out with his free hand; fingers curled into talons. Blue sparks crackled.

Kota was swift to intervene and the ceiling above the clone's head began to shriek in angry protest as he applied just enough pressure for it to cave in. The Apprentice's arm swept up, redirecting the energy which dented the grating above him and saved it from complete collapse. His cruel eyes snapped back to the old Jedi, narrowing accusingly.

Had the clone not expected retaliation?

"We'll play a game, shall we?" The Sith snarled. "Let's see if you have the power to defend the men you brought with you."

Kota's eyes flashed and, brandishing his saber, leapt to intervene; barking only one order to his last remaining troops.

_Run._

* * *

><p>The sense of rising urgency was all the drive that Galen needed to keep going. The pain of his wounds fading out beneath his rising sense of dread. Every moment that passed was a moment that the clone could land a fatal hit. He just had to trust that the old man could defend himself until he arrived.<p>

He emerged from a wrecked corridor in a crackle of blue energy that sent surrounding debris shooting out – like missiles – in all directions. Some of the larger pieces punched through the hull, letting in the rain and filtered, grey light.

Gone was the need for stealth and strategy. There was no time for either.

Digging in his heels, he launched himself across the room and ran. At the far side, the double doors had been crippled and blockaded – preventing their use. Higher up, on the same wall, was another undamaged door – accessed only by damaged scaffolding and swinging cables. Even as he approached, his eyes tracked the way up, seeking the safe framework that could hoist him up to the overhead access.

He leapt up onto the first platforms that trembled underfoot and immediately dived through the beams, finding leverage to swing himself up to the next. Twisting metal protested as it buckled under the sudden movement and even as he bounded from one beam to the next, he could feel the lower supports begin to give way; toppling like a deck of cards. Galen all but scrambled to the very top, lowering his posture as the whole structure began to collapse. Fastenings twisted away from the paneling and as the supports dropped out from underneath him he ran, throwing himself at the ledge – the drop beneath him growing more perilous by the moment.

He landed at such speed that he dropped and rolled with the aid of an armored shoulder, the sound of metal screeching across the damaged balcony. He regained his feet without faltering and fell into another sprint. The gap between them was dwindling now and he reached out with the Force, crushing any hindering obstacles against the walls of the corridor and out of his path.

An open ventilation system yawned ahead of him and, with a single leap; he dropped down into further darkness.

* * *

><p>The men were given no chance to run.<p>

The one who tried first was thrown roughly off of his feet, shoulder driving into the floor; dislocating the joint. His cry of pain was stifled by the whirr of Kota's blade as he leapt in to defend the men he had brought here to aid him.

The clone's hand came up, shooting three blasts of Force power at the leaping Jedi. All three were direct hits, but only the last one knocked him off course. Kota landed heavily on his knees and the Apprentice, with a sneer, twisted in to land a killing blow. Kota's blade whipped up to parry. The weapons met with a fierce spitting and the Jedi was back on his feet, trading blows with the Sith and hoping that the others would take the opportunity and leave whilst the enemy was engaged.

Without warning, the Apprentice's free hand came up and lightning sparked along the length of his fingers; hurtling across the floor to incapacitate two other soldiers who had tried to take advantage of his being preoccupied.

"It'd be better for you if you didn't keep trying to escape." He chided mockingly.

Kota aimed a swift strike at The Apprentice's hand, forcing him to relent his attack on the soldiers and return to his duel.

"And still you fight the inevitable, Jedi."

"Inevitable?" Kota gave a gruff snort. "We'll see about that."

With a snarl, the clone twisted around to face him. The force of the sabers colliding rattled the bones in Kota's arms; the hilt almost dragged from his grasp with the downward thrust. Widening his stance he twisted the blade, wrenched free and backed up hastily. The Apprentice immediately pursued, flicking his saber with wild, erratic strokes.

Looking up, Kota was surprised to see the clone's white face glistening with perspiration; shiny and sickly as melting wax. The glow of his golden eyes reminded him strangely of PROXY's photoreceptors; wide and maniacal.

"Your 'brother'." Kota began, disengaging from the duel to leap to the side and away from the console. "Told me your visions cause you pain."

The Apprentice lunged, the tip of the saber catching the old Jedi across the knee. Kota staggered, ducking beneath the next swing and reached out to drag a fallen wall panel across the floor towards him. The Apprentice flipped to dodge the debris and flung it aside with ease.

"An interesting piece of news considering that his do not. Don't you think?"

The Apprentice drew short and, lifted a hand. A large canister rose with it, twisting slowly mid-air. Other pieces of debris rose to join it; dancing and swaying in the flickering light.

Kota spared another glance at the console and still the counter chimed down.

How long left? Twenty-eight minutes_…come on Giles._

"Would you like to hear my theory?" The Jedi continued, his eyes darting back to the clone.

The canister shot towards him and Kota only just managed to deflect it. It sailed across the room and a pierce in its shell had it gyrating dangerously across the floor.

"I have…more than one, actually." He continued, unfazed.

The clone gritted his teeth and the next object – a piece of metal almost completely bent in on itself – came flying towards him.

Kota's saber came up and severed it in two. The two halves fell to the ground by his feet; an angry red where the saber had burned through it. "I've started to wonder whether your instability is due to your heavy use of the dark side rather than being a clone."

"Trying to turn me back?" The Apprentice snarled.

Kota met his gaze - his face stoic - and pointedly ignored the question. "Or maybe it_ is_ because you're a clone. And if it is for that reason, then does that mean your brother is not, in fact, your brother at all?"

The clone's eyes flashed with deadly rage.

"That would mean that the one you call inferior is in fact—"

The clone gave a roar of rage and, from under the arm of the fallen Selonian – the one Lesew and a companion had carried with them – the discarded glaive came loose.

Kota lifted his saber to deflect it, but the dark, obsidian point was not meant for him.

Quicker than he could blink, the wooden glaive had been stuck through the chest of a wounded soldier. The man, touching at the wooden shaft buried in his torso, listed sideways and hit the floor with a sickening thud. The blood was inky dark as it pooled around his body, the rectangles of blue light emitters reflected there on its surface.

One of the men – was it Kavan? – who had been struck by Sith Lightning was attempting to drag himself to safety. Unfortunately he seemed paralyzed from the waist down, his arms straining to pull himself along the floor.

Thankfully, the other victim seemed to have slipped away unnoticed.

"Quick, quick, quick! Or he'll be next." The clone taunted suddenly. The saber dropped from the Sith's hand – moved back to his belt by the Force – and both hands came up. Lightning branched through the air, striking the paralysed man between the shoulders before moving to engulf him entirely.

Kota sprang between them, cutting through the lightning with a clean downwards sweep of his emerald blade. The lightning diverted its cruelty, cutting along the old Jedi's arms and throwing him viciously to the floor.

The clone stalked across to where this limp soldier lay and prodded him with the toe of his boot. "Ah, such a shame. Too late. Too weak." His golden eyes snapped up to glare at the only soldier who had chosen not to run. He was shaking violently, one leg wounded so badly he could barely stand. It wasn't bravery that kept him from running, then, he was simply incapable of doing so. And the one who had escaped? Well, he was as good as dead anyway.

Kota was pulling himself back to his feet. "Why do you allow Vader to delude you? Is it purely a defect of the cloning process? That you have no other purpose but to serve him even when, by doing so, it will end in your death?"

"I am _useful_."

"To be directed like a puppet; like a tool of the Empire. What do you think happens to the tools that no longer have a purpose?"

"I have purpose!"

"Discarded. No – worse! Destroyed!"

"You better shut your mouth, Jedi." He snarled.

Kota felt his resolve falter. There was rage there but little else. The rage might make him careless. He might waste energy, lose focus and let his emotions rule him. But, suicidal? No. And even lacking finesse and precision Kota could not hope to match his power in a duel. He was leading him to destruction, but not self-destruction and that was dire news indeed.

Swallowing back his sudden lack of confidence, he slipped his eyes subtly across to the console.

The timer still ticked down the seconds and he wished he could contact Giles and ask him how much longer he needed to hold out for.

"Oh yes. The bomb." The clone gave a bout of unrestrained laughter. "I'd almost forgotten about that."

"Vader doesn't have much confidence in your skills, does he?" Kota retorted sharply. The clone's laughter made his skin crawl. "I wonder why that could be..."

The clone's body contorted with sudden fury. "You know nothing of my Master's motives!"

"You are disposable. You are replaceable. He fears your brother's survival far more than he fears your loss."

That hit a nerve. Kota saw it twist in those mad eyes and the Apprentice staggered back just a step, lifting a hand to grip at the side of his head. He was being assailed by pain, then? Had he seen something that rang truthfully in his words? The flickers of maddened visions, perhaps, in the throes of his agony?

"You." The word was snarled, his teeth bared and, ironically, the voice rang a sudden familiarity to Galen's.

That boy was still so angry.

Then that brief familiarity was gone. "You talk too much. You talk TOO MUCH!" The yellow-eyed clone launched himself with such speed that Kota's block almost didn't arrive in time. The high-pitched whirr of sabers thrummed around the chamber, sparks casting stark shadows across their faces.

It was hard to stay calm and tranquil in the face of such unleashed aggression and power and Kota wasn't quite sure how he managed it.

Each strike of their blades sent a painful jolt through the length of the Jedi's arms, forcing him to retreat to give himself a split second of respite. Their duel had them skirting around the very edge of the chamber, each one trying to find an opening in their adversary's defenses. The cauterized wound on Kota's arm burned and, without warning, another gash open up across his hip.

He twisted to escape the bite of that crimson blade; diving, rolling, regaining his feet and turning to counter.

Determined; their blades met again, the spark of the energies seeming to resist against making contact. Kota drove forwards, pushing against that beam of red with everything that he had. His temples glistened with sweat – the white eyes flickering in their sockets.

The clone faltered – though Kota did not know why – and disengaged, staggering backwards again. A vein in his temple pulsed, the tendons in his neck bunching. Kota felt the rise of triumph and closed the gap, lifting his saber to bring it down between neck and shoulder.

The Apprentice let himself fall back, hitting the ground hard but avoiding the hot edge of the green saber in the process. With a flash of fury, his arm swept out and suddenly, between them was the last remaining soldier – suspended in place by the power of the force.

Kota diverted his hand at the last moment, the edge of the blade clipping the man's shoulder.

The clone gave a hoarse laugh, back-flipping to his feet and then knocked the stunned soldier aside. The shove was weak – all things considered – but his wounded leg meant that he toppled like a newborn foal.

Kota whirled to defend the fallen man, but again the clone's attention had returned to the Jedi and, with an almighty thrust of Force power, he was sent hurtling back against the console.

Kota lay slumped there, legs outstretched, and felt outwards with the Force. Nothing broken but – oh, wait – a slice of pain in his lower back. A piece of damaged console was embedded there. And then a horrible chill ran through him. The console…? Damaged?

His com-link chattered with static and the clone hovered above him; anticipation wrought across his face. His hand moved for the other saber at his hip and then—

–And then there was utter darkness.

* * *

><p>Galen's landing was awkward; the floor sliding out from under him as he realized there was yet more wreckage to bar the way. With a precise tumble, he stepped onto slightly more secure ground and winced at the responding groan of stressed metal underfoot. Thankfully, that seemed to be the last of it for now – those pieces probably having fallen down the vent from the room above.<p>

Here everything was intact. The structure of the room was perhaps slightly bowed, but the equipment had all been welded down to the floor which had – thankfully – not buckled under the pressure of his landing.

He wondered, briefly, how Juno and PROXY were getting on with the diffusing the bomb but quickly pushed it out of mind.

He was close now.

Bounding across the room, he flattened himself against the wall and peered down into the corridor. Odd, orb-like shapes had snagged against a broken generator and he recognized them for the battle droids he had fought on the shore. These ones were deactivated – probably too badly damaged to power up.

Even so, he stepped over them carefully, nudging aside three broken cables to avoid garrotting himself.

Somewhere nearby a fire was burning. He could feel it thick in his lungs; turning the air stale. He coughed and edged further down the platform; peering over the edge. He groaned.

What should have been a short drop down to a droid servicing station was now nothing more than a flooded chamber; any dangers or doorways fully submerged. The water churned up from the far side of the room, rippling across the dark surface; uninviting and hazardous. An image of him impaling himself on debris hidden by that dark water stalled him. And yet, the urgency nagged at him. Kota was on that level, under the water, snaking to the right and then up through into another, large chamber. The snap of their energy cracked at his heels and, pushing aside any doubt, he tipped forwards over the rail.

The water slapped against him as fierce and hard as stone. His mouth opened to vent the pain inflicted against his battered side, though nothing but a stream of bubbles gushed forth. Flailing already numb limbs, he attempted to find the surface, though he couldn't quite be certain which way was up any more. Panic gripped him and he cursed himself for his foolishness as he turned and kicked upwards, struggling for the surface and welcoming the air against his fingers. His gasping intake of breath echoed around the chamber. The sounds of water sloshing against metal and his attempts at staying above the surface were horribly audible.

He fell still, treading water, trying to ignore the incredible pain that the icy cold, seeping water brought with it.

Setting his jaw, he peered down into the gloom and, filling his lungs, drove downwards. The water dragged against him, almost as if trying to hold him back from his target and he was tempted to remove the spaulders to lighten the weight of his clothing a little. His wounded shoulder had suddenly become much more of a burden, unable to match the other in strength and making propelling himself incredibly awkward. The constricting space of the submerged corridor was oppressive and, with his lungs straining, he put more effort into his strokes; kicking hard.

A hand reached up to touch the ceiling above him and fingers broke the surface of the water, giving him perhaps two inches of air space to refill his lungs. Hooking his fingers in the grille, he lifted his face up from the water – angling it so that he could breathe through his nose. He breathed in water, too, and choked violently, ever desperate to drag in a lungful of air.

Afraid that the water level might still be rising, he abandoned the 'surface' to continue onwards, using a hand against the ceiling to guide him onwards and rest his aching shoulder. Up ahead, the lights on the untouched ceiling cast a dull blue glow through the water. His vision, though bleary, could make out debris floating through cloudy water. Swimming on, he reached out to gently bat it aside, until he realized what exactly the debris was.

A Selonian.

Not one he recognized, though it would hardly matter if he had met her before this siege. Her body was so mauled by blaster fire that he was surprised she had managed to get this far. And to die here; in a confined, dark place…to drown alone. Her legs had gotten entangled in some cables and though she'd clearly struggled to free herself, it had all been in vain.

His stomach lurched as he passed her by.

Galen counted the seconds as they ticked by, urging himself onwards, urging himself to go faster. And then the edge of a doorway; forcing him to drop lower to pass through.

There, perhaps five meters ahead of him he could make out the dark rectangle of a missing vent cover. Ignoring his own pain he put more energy into his escape, drawing the Force around him for the much needed support. And then he was surging upwards, breathing deep to ease the ache in his lungs.

Distantly, he heard the whirr of lightsabers.

He heaved himself up out of the water, his body shuddering uncontrollably from the cold, and crossed the room with somewhat ungainly strides. As if sensing his approach, the echoed hum of sabers fell silent. Ominously silent.

On the platform, by the raised door, another corpse lay sprawled out on his stomach, his fingers curled around the edge of the dais. One of Viedas' men. The stink of his burnt flesh was thick in the air as he stepped gingerly over the prone body.

Galen started when a hand curled – with surprising strength – around his boot; holding him fast.

"He-elp me." The croak rattled in the man's chest.

"Let go!" The order came with a surprising amount of vehemence, perhaps born from the shock of the 'corpse' still being alive.

"No. You can't. Please."

When tugging didn't work, he backed up instead, managing to pull free from the grasping fingers. The man released a strangled cry, much like a wounded animal.

"Wait here." Galen said, a little kinder. "I need to get to Kota."

"No." He rasped. "No. Don't—"

With a sharp breath of impatience, Galen crouched at the wounded man's side. In the poor light he couldn't tell whether the injuries were fatal or not. The back of his jacket had been badly burned and still emanated heat from the Sith Lightning.

"I have to go." He said, at last, worried now that the sabers had not picked back up again.

"He'll kill you." The soldier warned.

"No, he won't."

He moved to stand and, in that moment, the last of the lights went out.

The silence was deafening and, matched with impenetrable darkness, it was akin to drowning. Disorientated, Galen reached out for the comfort of the Force and listened.

There was truly nothing. No sound of buzzing electricity or active lights or distant generators softly churning away. Nothing. The wounded beast of a ship had finally succumbed to death. At his feet, the man gave a strangled gasp as death claimed him and Galen's hand closed over the com-link device.

"Juno?" His voice was a hiss in the dark. "Juno!"

Nothing.

It was too dark to see, but Galen assumed the device had been water-damaged. Riled, he cast it aside and turned to leave the chamber behind. For a brief moment, the clash of sabers filled the silence, hastening his step.

* * *

><p>"What have you DONE?" The eerily silent ship sent his voice bouncing across the walls. The Apprentice's rage crackled through the air. "You have thwarted my Master's plans for the last time."<p>

The lack of light was not a hindrance for the elderly Jedi and he was quick to make the most of its mask, pulling his body away from the console and swinging around to the clone's right.

The saber in his hand was extinguished and he fell back into the shadows.

Giles had come through – at last – and the threat of the impending explosion was gone. Perhaps there was still time to pull this back under control.

"I'm done playing, now." The Apprentice warned. His other saber snapped up into his waiting hand and when it flared into life it was a piercing blue.

So that's where Galen's other saber had gone.

The clone came for him and he danced out of the way, his thumb resting on the activation switch of his saber, preparing to defend himself. The Sith was so angry that the twisting sabers were an imprecise rush in the dark and, though tired and wounded, Kota managed to evade them.

"You have failed your Master." Kota replied gruffly – a mistake because that helped his adversary zone in on his location.

Activating his blade, Kota's saber met both of the Apprentice's with a horrendous crack and then, with a shove, the elder man was off again, deactivating the weapon and sliding back to the safe shelter of darkness.

"What are you waiting for?" The clone roared. "For him to come and save you?"

Kota's grip tightened instinctively.

The Apprentice shot forwards again. His crimson saber bled the air.

Kota's arm rose to defend himself and the blue blade arched around to catch him in the side. The old Jedi span to fend off the attack but the wound in his lower back shot pain through his muscles. The red blade slid and a searing pain cut through his hand; severing fingers. Thankfully, having both hands on the hilt kept him from dropping the lightsaber and he managed to parry, disengaging himself.

In desperation he reached for the Force and dragged the remnants of what had once been a maintenance droid across the room.

The clone turned it back on Kota, slamming cold metal hard against him. The Jedi's feet left the floor and he hurtled backwards, crumpling with a sudden wave of fatigue. A little voice argued with him to get back onto his feet but another voice urged him to give in to his fatigue. Kota had not survived this long by listening to that voice of defeat. Broken shards crunched under his boots as he tried to find his footing. A hand fisted in the front of his jacket and shoved him back and when he looked up it was to see the clone looming over him, the pulse of the blue lightsaber matching the palpitations of his own heart.

"I wonder if that 'brother' of mine will feel it when you die." His intense eyes glowed vibrantly in the dim lighting. "I imagine he'll be quite upset. Angry, in fact. Wouldn't it be ironic for you – the one who weakened him in the first place – to be responsible for returning that strength to him?"

"You think he was weak for turning away from the dark?" Kota growled. "Is that what Vader said? You let him fool you even when you know the truth? You remember pulling a Star Destroyer from the sky. You remember infiltrating the Death Star."

"He died!"

"But not because of _weakness_." Kota hissed. "He gave his life to ensure the continuation of the rebellion."

"And that in itself is a weakness. Your caring is what will kill you now."

"Caring is what drove that 'failed' brother of yours into destroying the cloning facility on Kamino. It almost crushed your master."

"But what happens when he fails to save those he cares about? He will turn back to the Dark Side. And willingly."

"And then what? Will you succumb and be tossed away like an outdated droid?"

"No! I am superior. He will die and then there will be no one left to get in the way of my destiny."

"Destiny?" Kota trailed. "You don't have a destiny. Not on the path you're on now. Can't you see that?"

The fingers tightened on his jacket and, without warning, Kota swung his saber up, bringing it around in an attempt to reduce the clone's restraining arm to a bleeding stump. The green blade clipped his elbow with a greedy hiss; the clone reacting faster than the Jedi could have expected.

Green met blue once; twice; thrice and then, with a powerful blast, Kota was sent sprawling again. His body protested in agony, but the Jedi gathered his feet beneath him once more. The clone was stalking forwards again with all the power and ferocity of a krayt dragon.

"You know nothing of my destiny or the power of a Sith."

Kota took a step towards him, surprised by the ferocity of the pain in his back. He could feel the heat of the blood against skin and his injured hip protested.

The clone's free hand came up, grabbing him by the throat, slamming him down against the console and pinning him there.

Kota's wounded hand – with the stumps of three missing fingers – groped at the clone's arm, trying to free himself from the vice grip. It was clear that there'd be no more dueling. He needed to reach him; his anger, his memories, his guilt. Something to stay his hand or get him to see how futile this struggle really was.

"You don't need to do this, boy." His voice was calm, the use of the nickname a subtle way of trying to reach him.

The familiar name sent a tremor through the clone. His eyes flashed. "Need? _Need?_ You misunderstand. I _want_ to do this. Need doesn't come into it."

Kota's brow furrowed. "Then get on with it. I don't have all day."

"You seek death, Jedi?" There was surprise there and hesitation, too.

"I neither seek nor run from death. And nor should you."

"I fear NOTHING!"

Kota continued to press him. "You have always been afraid."

"Shut up!"

"It's not too late, boy. You can still turn away from this."

"SHUT UP!" The lightsaber flared in the dark. "I'm not listening to you anymore."

Kota's weary face smoothed with defeat and acceptance. If the clone could be talked into a defeat it would not be by him. And yet, the hand at his throat trembled violently and he could sense the fear rolling off of him.

He was hesitating. He did remember and he was afraid of it.

But he was afraid of Vader's malice more.

Distantly, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching rapidly. Kota let himself relax; his breath rushing out with his words. "It's about time, boy."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	16. Evanescent

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

**Note: Apologies for the cliffhanger last time! Here is the next chapter for you. Thanks, as always, to my reviewers, readers and subscribers alike! And a big thank you to Liisiko who has been such an amazing help throughout this whole thing! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 16 - Evanescent<strong>

**Location: Selonia / XF-32**

* * *

><p>Galen's entrance was a spectacle to be feared.<p>

The doorway warped under the pressure of the Force building around him; screeching and flexing in ways that dense metal should not. The floor dented beneath his boots as he leapt, bringing back both arms and pouring the power into them.

He saw the band of blue in the dark. Saw the green extinguish. Saw the Sith turn to stare at him; his eyes twin beacons in the darkness.

He felt Kota's life leaving him.

"_No_!" The word was brutally ripped from him.

His arms came forwards, bringing the power with them. It was crushing energy, filled with all his rage and pain; surging forwards at an untraceable speed. It struck the dark clone with bone-shattering force, propelling him viciously backwards against the ship. The metal that struck him split like the skin of an overripe fruit, the jagged edges holding him tight.

Holding him prisoner.

Preventing escape.

The path of that energy had bowed the floor; anything in its way now blasted clear.

Galen's fingers itched to curl around the Sith's throat. Choke the life out of him. Listen to him hiss and gargle as the strength left him.

Galen ground his teeth and took a menacing step forwards; his breathing hoarse and ragged.

With the sabers now extinguished, the room was in full darkness save the grey light creeping in through the newly created tear. It was poor, though, and certainly not good enough to be able to see the fear in the Sith's eyes as he died.

That would need to be fixed.

His right arm drew up and the energy flowed with it, reaching across the expanse and punching a gouging hole in the side of the ship. Light and rain – hammering against the exposed flooring – poured in. His eyes – narrowed in concentration – watched as the great sheets of the ship's skin were peeled back away from the frame, revealing more and more of the sky. He could hear the horrible pop of joints and bolts bursting under pressure. It should have been difficult but it wasn't.

And then he felt the rain, too. Thick, heavy drops that battered with an unrelenting fury; mirroring the emotions inside of him.

A gathering storm; thick, destructive, hateful.

His eyes lashed across to where the clone struggled feebly in his metal prison and he took another step, manipulating the metal prongs to curl further into the Sith's flesh. This would be easy. Far too easy. It was disappointing, in a way, to see the other so weak and—

—What was that?

Galen's head snapped around so fast it was a wonder he didn't break his own neck. And there, only a few strides away, was the trigger for his anger. Except that the old man was trying to get to his feet when he should have been fading away.

Still he tried. Still he fought on.

And strangely, Galen was frozen in place, caught in the conflict of the gale of emotions inside of him.

The elderly Jedi tried to get leverage by balancing on his elbow, but the pain seemed too much for even him to bear. He released a hissing breath between clenched teeth, spraying the rain that had gathered in his mouth.

"Stop this, boy."

Still he was frozen.

"You don't want to go back down that path. Not again."

His eyes, instinctively, snapped back to the Sith. He had ceased his struggling and their eyes met with a crackle of energy. Galen felt his anger elevate and physically had to take a step back to try and separate himself from that emotion.

_Anger leads to the…_

"You have the power to defeat him without hate."

Galen closed his eyes, drawing in a breath, and sought the calm presence; rekindled the memory of the waves against the shore. Could he defeat the clone without hate? Had he ever defeated anyone without that emotion driving him?

"You cannot defeat me!" The Sith raged. "Do you hear me?"

And then Galen was at Kota's side, easing him carefully up into a sitting position.

"What's the damage?" He asked quietly.

"I stopped keeping record." The older man retorted. And then his repartee ended and his face became rueful. "It's not good."

"I shouldn't have let you go. I _knew_ this was going to happen. Why don't you listen? You _never_ listen. Was this your plan all along?"

"No one knew anything, boy." He snorted. "And I didn't get this far by...by turning away at the first sign of trouble."

"You're too reckless."

"Huh, speak for yourself." His head listed and Galen grabbed his shoulder, giving him a shake to bring him back around.

"Stay with me, Kota."

"Listen." The old man brushed him off, irritably. "Listen to me. That clone. My theory…it might not have been so bad."

"What? Look, forget about that. Can you stand?"

Kota's reply was stalled, his mind seeming to grow distant for a moment. Then, quite suddenly, the lucidness returned and he continued as if Galen had never even spoken. "He remembers."

"I don't—"

"—Let me finish. I mean exactly what I said. He remembers. He has your memories."

Galen swallowed.

"But they have driven him mad."

"Then why haven't I had any side effects?"

Kota said nothing, but even the silence was enough to get his message across.

"No." Galen refused. "We've already gone over this. It's not possible. I _am_ a—"

"—It doesn't matter." Kota lowered his voice, his grip at Galen's elbow suddenly fierce. "They can be used against him. Bring the past back to him. Bring him—bring him despair. His anger and hate twisted him. Use what you have learned to keep yourself from falling. I know you can do it."

Galen bowed his head and saw the dark pool of blood seeping around his boots, pocked with the rain.

He knew how this was going to end.

"Kota, I—"

A sudden explosion ruptured through the structure, rattling the floor violently beneath them. Galen leapt back to his feet, saber snapping into his waiting hand.

The clone had freed himself from his prison and was stepping back towards the split hull, his heels touching air. The last remaining soldier was held pinned in front of him; the Sith's saber hovering portentously.

"Caring is a weakness." The clone hissed and, with a laugh, he sliced the neck of the wounded soldier and leaped to safety.

Galen's fury ignited instantly.

"Boy!"

"I won't let him get away with this!" He turned to meet Kota's eyes and immediately regretted it. He was deathly white, his face pinched with pain.

_Keep yourself from falling._

The elderly Jedi drew in a shaky breath. "Then go after him."

"Not without you, I'm not."

The old man gave an amused snort. "Don't be ridiculous." He tipped his head, gesturing. "Go. Don't let him get away. If he's…smart, he'll make for the shuttle."

But that meant… "I need to warn Juno!"

"Contact…" Kota's brow furrowed with pain. "Giles…get the ship away."

"I can't. My com-link is broken."

Kota's hand tried, and failed to seek the com-link at his belt. The remaining fingers on his injured hand twitched but refused to do any more. "Take mine, boy."

Galen knelt to retrieve it.

"My saber, too."

"Wh—"

"—Stop arguing and take it. I'm not going to need it anymore."

Galen faltered, his expression portraying clearly what words could not. What was he supposed to do? Just leave the old general here alone in the rain? This man who had taught him so much. Who had given him a purpose. Who had shown him what it was to have a father. A horrible, clenching pain started in his chest and then the sheathed, green saber – and the com-link – was in his hand.

"Kota…I…" The words caught. He'd never been good at expressing himself.

Kota's head tipped back, his arms resting down against the floor; palms up, collecting the rain in his cupped hands.

"It'll all be alright, boy. You'll see."

"I…" _Speak_, he urged himself, _speak_! "Thank you—for everything."

"One day…one day there will be peace." Kota whispered; his voice hoarse. "And when there is, you and Juno…you will have earned it."

"I'll…I'll come back for you."

Kota gave him a wry, weary smile and lifted his head skyward.

There was no pain. No regret. In fact, lying there under the steely sky, bathed in rain, he felt utterly content. The sound of Galen's fading footsteps only briefly marred the sound of rain. There was a pause – the boy turning back as if to change his mind. Kota tried to urge him to go, but words were beyond him. Thankfully, a moment later, and Galen was away; outside of the ship and hastening after the runaway clone.

And then he was truly alone, or as alone as any Jedi could be, surrounded by the Force.

There was no feeling in his limbs now, his hands and feet refusing to obey orders from his rapidly fading consciousness. So, instead, he thought of his past; of a war-torn home he had not seen in many, many years. Of a Padawan and many a friend long dead upon the instigation of Order 66. And then, of an unexpected turn in his life where he, a cantankerous old Jedi, had aided in shining light on a path where there had been no light to find.

Life was an evanescent thing, but short or not, he had certainly not gone down without a fight.

And then even thinking became too much of an effort.

_It'll be alright. It will all be alright._

* * *

><p>Galen used the twisted metal to form his route up to the top of the ship; scrambling up the hull by any means possible. Water sluiced across the battered sides of the old Star Destroyer, its uneven surface allowing him to get just enough purchase to climb.<p>

The com-link was clenched between his teeth as he ascended, almost blinded by the persistent fall of rain.

"Juno?" He called her name through gritted teeth. "Juno!"

A garbled response came twinned with an irritating buzzing.

"Juno, if you can hear me, you need to get away. You need to—" His warning came to a premature end.

An icy, expanding dread washed over him; a flare of sudden and indescribable loss. It pulsed dully, like an old wound, not painful but…but cold. Just cold. His step faltered, an open hand pressed flat over his chest as he strained to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. And, for the briefest of moments, he found himself listing to the side, his head swimming.

Kota was dead.

The moment passed, the light-headed sensation receding until only the dull pang of grief remained.

Kota was dead.

Juno's voice raised above the clatter of rain. She'd didn't know. Had no way of knowing. She was saying something to him. Something about his well being. Something about him using Kota's frequency. Simple enough questions, maybe, except that he didn't know how he was and he didn't want to explain why he was using Kota's com-link.

Kota was dead.

"The clone, Juno." He wheezed instead. "You need to get the ship away from here."

"I'm not leaving you again."

She was being stubborn at the worst possible time. Fear of losing her. Of watching the _Rogue Shadow_ being torn from the sky; crushing her to death. Amplified by his grief, it became anger and he interrupted her.

"I'm not arguing with you. Go!"

"If I leave, you might—wait. Something's wrong."

He used the Force to help him clear a jump that no ordinary man would have been able to make and landed hard, hissing through his teeth at the pain in his side.

"I'm not getting a response from the shuttle." Juno continued.

Panic flared. "Juno. Listen to me. You need to get out of there. The clone is there. The clone_ is there_."

And, vaulting himself over a toppled satellite dish, he finished his ascent, pausing to absorb what lay before him. It was hard, in fact, to make out much of anything. The rain – by this time – had closed around them like a curtain. If the shuttle still rested atop the prototype Destroyer, then its hard edges had been smoothed out and camouflaged by the grey sheets of rain.

Somewhere above his head, the familiar sound of the _Rogue Shadow_ loomed overhead and he bit back his anger at her defiance and charged forwards.

The sound of the ship firing up resounded through the slick panels beneath his feet. He stumbled, regained his balance and then pressed onwards.

The flare of the shuttle lifting off gave him direction and, with extended bounds he launched a fierce blast of Force power across at the ship. The blast was deflected; evaporating as harmlessly as steam.

And even through the haze, with a viewport between them, Galen could see the flare of those horrific eyes; unnaturally yellow and filled with fear.

Kota was dead.

The green saber came to life in his hand and, with a roar of anger; he guided that blade through the air. It spun, lurching upwards, severing part of the main landing gear in a shower of vibrant sparks.

Not enough. Not enough.

The shuttle was turning on its axis now, the sound of its powering up a fearsome roar as it prepared to accelerate to safety.

The green saber snapped back into his waiting hand, fingers closing over the hilt. Then, he rushed forwards, sensing the gap increasing even as he sought to close it.

His arms came up and the wound in his shoulder – still hidden beneath armor – ripped open with a flare of pain, spilling hot blood.

He shoved the pain aside and reached for the strength he needed. Gathering his focus he reached out, the threads of energy soared towards the ship, touching at the hull, finding purchase there.

The com-link – still wedged in his teeth – split along the side of its casing but Juno's warning cries held little meaning anyway.

He tried to warn her away. Wanted her to understand that he couldn't risk her getting caught up in this. But he was beyond reasoning now and he didn't trust himself enough to split his concentration.

The ship continued to pivot and Galen increased his hold, trying to return it to the XF-32. In the back of his mind a warning bell rang, but he didn't realize its meaning until the rotating turbolaser - mounted on the ship's undercarriage - had fired.

The floor turned to slag beneath his feet, the heat of the blast knocking him roughly backwards. The com-link came free; falling, lost, into oblivion. Frantically, though he seemed in control to outside eyes, he scrabbled to regain his concentration, throwing out chasing tendrils of Force energy.

A second blast from the turbolaser had him sliding down the splintered panels; energy quickly redirected to help protect him from searing heat and a quick death. Regrettably, that gave the ship a chance to increase the distance between them and, crawling back onto secure footing, through a cloud of grey smoke, he reached out again.

The ship was getting away. Slipping through his fingers.

He felt for the hull, attempted to pull it back; his rage fueling the act. But even as he struggled to find a hold, he could feel the acceleration of the engines winning. He pulled himself to his feet, drove through the pain, and stalked forwards across the ship; battling against a strong gust.

He felt the drag of the ship, felt his feet slip along the smooth, slippery surface of the XF-32. Felt a surge of rising desperation. A roar broke free of his lungs as he sensed his strength failing.

Kota was dead.

He felt something come loose under the Force's claws and worked at it, drawing it away from the shuttle and casting it aside. Maybe if he could cause enough damage, the ship wouldn't be able to—

—No, too late. _No_!

Without warning, the 100 meter long shuttle lurched into hyperspace.

He fell to his knees, gasping for breath and shaking from a mix of cold, rage and pain. He had failed and that failure had cost the life of a friend and the escape of a dangerous, insane clone. If he hadn't wasted those precious seconds... If he had just finished off the clone there and then and ignored the old man's plea…

Did it really matter if he killed in hate? Would it really be so easy to fall?

He stood shakily, swaying a moment before he gained his balance, and threw another look up into that leaden sky. A sky that held no promise of sunlight or a chance at a respite. He brought his hands up to cover his face, dragging his fingers with bruising force up into the stubble of his hair.

Kota was dead.

* * *

><p>With no signal transmitting from his com-link, Juno had no way of contacting him. No way of drawing him back from that desperate rage that had him struggling onward despite the helplessness of the situation.<p>

The shuttle was not a lightweight TIE fighter to be snatched and crumpled into a useless hunk of metal. It was big, cumbersome and accelerating rapidly away from his position.

"PROXY! Take over." She leapt out of her seat and shoved the gangly droid into it. "Take us down but keep the ship elevated. I don't want to risk landing her with the XF-32 in its condition." She pictured the_ Rogue Shadow_ pitching forwards through damaged durasteel. "And keep an eye on the wing, that outboard flap on the port side took some damage."

And then there was no more time to worry. She hurried down to the loading ramp and jumped the short distance to the ground; almost slipping at the lack of traction on the drenched surface. She closed the fastenings of her jacket as she went, hunkered down to better move through the lashing rain.

Galen stood up as she drew closer and, carefully, she extended a hand; reaching up to gently touch his back; just beneath the protective plating.

He jerked beneath her touch and snapped around to face her with blinding speed, his hand lurching towards the saber at his hip. His eyes were just a little too dark in his face and the expression…

She swallowed, taking a short step back, afraid to say anything in case her very words broke him apart. Afraid of that anger in him.

He…he couldn't keep this up. This fighting. This conflict with his past, with his future…with himself.

The startled anger receded and the hand that had been reaching for his saber lifted to her instead. Cold fingers brushed against her elbow and sparked a shudder up the length of her spine. And, wordlessly, she stepped forwards, allowing herself to be folded up in his arms; so tight that she could barely breathe.

His cheek was deathly cold against hers, the fabric of his shirt sodden underneath her hands. And the way he clung to her…as if he were clinging to an unwinding thread as he dangled helplessly above the precipice.

He was falling and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold onto him.

And then, softly, she asked; "What happened?"

The sound of the rain muffled her question but his body tensed in response. His breathing hitched in her ear and her eyes pressed closed; another involuntary shiver running through her.

"I failed."

His voice was so quiet and it broke her heart.

"He's gone."

And she knew, then, that he wasn't just talking about the escaped clone. That the losses had been far greater than that.

Nothing would ever be the same.

Kota was dead.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update scheduled for: 12th November**


	17. Resolute

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own anything Star Wars**

**Note: Thanks again to my reviewers/subscribers/readers and to Liisiko who has continued to be an amazing help in my story writing.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 17 - Resolute<strong>

**Location: Selonia**

* * *

><p>She held it together for him, training her face into that emotionless mask that had served her so well in her past as an Imperial pilot. Even PROXY – normally so chipper – had dropped into silence, the working of his mechanical limbs the only audible sound he had made since getting them back onto the <em>Rogue Shadow<em>.

She brushed away the curtain of blonde hair that had fallen across her face to peer across at Galen. He was sat low in the co-pilot chair, staring but not seeing, his hands curled lifelessly on his knees; palms down.

How much more pain could he handle before it all became too much to bear?

He'd not said another word to her since his admission of failure and she'd opted not to press him on it. Galen had never been good at dealing with his emotions, and grief like this was a relatively new thing to him. He'd need time to work through this and find closure.

And so would she.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she brought up the communications interface and attempted contact with the _Armistice_. Thankfully it didn't take too long, though getting through security took more patience then she felt she had left. Eventually the defensive Lieutenant, who had quizzed her on security codes and personnel detail, patched her through to the bridge.

"Apologies for the delay, Captain." Viedas' distinctly accented voice came across the channel with surprising clarity. "We had a close run in with an Imperial owned freighter in the last hour. Security is on high alert. I take it you have good news for me?"

"Are you alone, Commodore?"

"I am."

"It's not good news." Juno replied without any hesitation. She worried that if she paused to give her words any thought she might not be able to speak them. She put on her 'business' voice and began to ream off a brief report. "We managed to locate and infiltrate the XF-32 above the planet of Selonia, as was thought to be the most likely location. Unfortunately, the Star Destroyer was knocked off course during the confrontation between the clone and Starkiller, resulting in a crash landing in the seas of Selonia." She pushed on, barely taking a breath. "Earlier today, with help from the locals, we organized a storm of the XF-32 to bring down the target. Dividing into two teams…we…" Then, at last, she struggled to maintain her voice as the horror of what had happened loomed closer. The pause was agonizing and she battled with herself to keep going.

As if sensing her growing hesitation, the Rodian Commodore urged her on with a kindness in his voice that seemed to only make things worse. "Go on, Juno."

The lump forming in her throat was hard to speak around, but she managed it. "Fatalities during this attempt were high. None of your men survived." None of the Selonians had, either, though she didn't see any point in bringing that up now.

There was a long pause, and then: "Grave news, indeed. But, they were aware of the risks. None of us can ever be certain of our safety. They died honorably in the line of duty and their sacrifice will not be forgotten."

_But they would, in the end_, Juno thought silently. Not by their families or friends, but to everyone else, they would just become another number; additions to an ever increasing figure of those who had died opposing the Empire.

"We'll send a shuttle to retrieve the bodies."

"Wait. That's not all, Commodore."

"Captain?"

"We lost General Rahm Kota during the assault." The words were out before she could even consider the implication of them.

There was a horrible, prolonged silence and she clasped her hands tightly together to keep them from trembling.

"I see." The tone of his voice was clipped and professional, but she could well imagine how his heart must have sank as he realized they'd just lost one of their most important allies.

Then, he ventured; "What about Starkiller and the Sith?"

"Starkiller is injured, but alive." She drew in a short breath, closing her eyes. "The Sith escaped."

"This is truly dire news, Captain. We've all put ourselves on the line for this mission. The Senators will not be happy that we've taken such a risk and failed. And to lose the General…no, they will not be happy at all."

"We're not giving up, Commodore." Juno replied firmly. "I'm contacting you to inform you of the possible danger to your ship and crew. The clone escaped in the shuttle piloted by your men. He may be able to access the co-ordinates to your last location. With all due respect, I think you should see about getting yourself somewhere safe." Otherwise this mission could very well go down in history as one of the worst blunders the Alliance ever made.

"The likelihood of him coming here is low, but we were scheduled to make a jump to Corellia for upgrades." Viedas responded. "I'll look into bringing that forward. Is that all?"

Is that _all_? As if the death of a Jedi was not enough?

"No." Juno bit back her words. Viedas was only doing his job, just as she should. "I did have one last request."

"Go ahead."

"The shuttle that brought your men here; is it fitted with a tracking device?"

He needed no other elaboration. "I'll mark that a priority, Captain Eclipse. We'll let you know as soon as we can get a lock onto his position. I take it that means you intend to pursue?"

"The _Rogue Shadow_ has sustained some damage, Commodore. PROXY is running the analysis now. But yes, that is the plan." Or so she hoped. A quick glance at Galen told her very little about what he was thinking. Perhaps he wasn't even listening. There was no indication to say otherwise.

"I'll need to report this back to the Senators, you understand."

"Do what you think is right, Commodore."

"I'll have the co-ordinates to the shuttle sent as soon as they come through, Captain."

"Thank you. Eclipse out."

Silence descended. PROXY paused in his monitoring to throw her a glance. There was no movement at all from Galen's direction.

"What's the damage?" Juno asked the holodroid quietly.

"Minor damage, Captain. Outboard, port side. Some scoring on the bodywork. Laser cannon two working at sixty-eight percent."

"Thanks, PROXY. We'll get her down and I'll see what I can do with the wing." She thought of the Selonians, holed up in their dens, waiting for news. She fumbled at the controls as she swung the ship around and brought it back over the shore.

* * *

><p>The warriors who had fought alongside Galen seemed to understand that the danger was gone, but that was all Juno could get across to them before the language barrier kicked in. She was partially thankful for that. She wasn't sure she had the energy to do much explaining.<p>

She left them to the long process of opening the doors – a task much more difficult when the use of the Force was not implemented – and trudged across the miserable grey sand towards the ship. She circled it slowly, letting her eyes wander in search of any damage that might need to be patched up before they could be on their way. Only one score looked big enough to be a hindrance and, hefting the required tools, she set about with the repairs. The damaged outboard flap was the most pressing need, the teeth on the joint no longer lying flush against the main wing panel.

As she worked, her thoughts constantly flicked between the unexpected and sudden loss of Kota and Galen's impenetrable silence. She had left him in the co-pilot chair with a few words of comfort and a gentle touch, but it hadn't provoked any reaction in him at all. So she had decided, in the end, to leave him there. After all, he knew where she was if he needed her.

Juno was already well under way with the repairs when Terreef found her.

The elderly Selonian regarded her with weary eyes. "Where is the Jedi, Kota?"

Juno allowed the numb feeling to wash over her and, as she replied, found comfort in the odd sense of detachment that seeped through her. It was in this state that she relayed the information to Terreef. Of Giles' brief report on the trouble the Selonians had gotten into. Of the lack of life signs on the scanners. Of their failed attempt to catch the Sith. Of the death of her brave people sent out to sacrifice themselves for the good of their den. And when she was done, their eyes met and silence reigned heavy. As heavy as the cold heart in her chest.

"Maybe still hope." The old female replied. "The ship is now safe?"

"Unstable in structure, but no more droids and no more Sith. If you intend to retrieve bodies, I believe a Rebel shuttle is being sent for the men that came with us." There might have been survivors but she didn't see how.

"And Jedi. Yes. If we find, we will bring them here."

There was another awkward silence and then, finally, Terreef continued. "What will you do now?"

"We will go after the Sith." Juno replied. "We will stop him."

"The Sith would have destroyed us with that bomb." Terreef continued lowly. "You prevented it."

"Not me. All of us."

"I offer our thanks on behalf of our queen." She dipped her head respectfully. "I will send engineers to help fix your ship."

"Oh, no that's—"

"—I insist." Terreef interrupted.

"Then…thank you."

And then she was left alone, standing in the dying rain. She turned slowly back to regard the ship and lifted the wrench to continue her work. Except that she suddenly couldn't think past everything that had just been said. There was so much pain and death and then there was Galen's haunted eyes; so dark and empty.

Grief snared her; the wrench in her hand coming in sharp contact with the side of the ship, denting the panel – her cry of grief transforming into the sound of a muffled cry. There, alone in the haze, she broke; smothering her sobs into a hand, struggling to breathe past the welling hurt in her chest.

A touch on her shoulder was quick to snap her out of it, drawing back in horror at having been caught in a moment of weakness. She turned, stuttering to compose herself, and found herself looking up into the face of one of the Selonian engineers. Her large eyes were wide and sorrowful, the whiskers on her long snout wilting. The clawed paw remained on Juno's shoulder and there was a gentle understanding in that expression. Perhaps this one had also lost someone she had cared for on that ship. A dear friend. A sister. A colleague. Or, more likely, she simply grieved because so many Selonian lives had been lost.

"I…I'm alright now." Juno rubbed at her face shamefully.

"Alright now." The echo of her words was said with some sadness and took Juno by surprise. "Alright…later."

Juno looked up and felt the tears gather again. She shook her head and, with a watery smile, turned back to her work.

A few moments later and another engineer joined them; the two Selonians working on closing over the score in the ship's angular side.

It was strange to think of such a primitive looking species as being technologically advanced. And yet, above the tunnels of their dens were grey cities filled with factories that brimmed with advanced knowledge. Appearances could be so very deceiving.

Juno stood back to admire her handiwork and took a moment to thank the pair of engineers for their aid. They give her polite smiles that suggested they could make a guess at what she had said but weren't quite sure.

So she repeated herself. "Thank you for your help."

The one who had comforted her before laid her paw on Juno's shoulder, patting it in a soothing gesture. Then Juno watched them go with a sinking heart, turning reluctantly back to the open loading ramp when they were out of sight.

The _Rogue Shadow_ had always been something of a marvel to her; filled with memories both good and bad – not to mention being a technological phenomenon. To be piloting it again had been tarnished with the extra cargo she had been taking to Dantooine, but she could not deny that she had yearned to be in that cabin again. Yearned for the freedom it gave. It had been…home.

Her mind's eye conjured the ship hovering, Galen perched on the edge of the loading ramp and her, leaning towards him with her hand on his waist…

She touched her mouth with her fingertips.

Juno had clung to that memory for so long; that last shared moment between them before he had left to drag the Rebellion out from the jaws of the Imperial dragon.

But now she was almost afraid to go inside that ship. Afraid of being the one to pull him back from the after-effects of his so-called failure. Afraid that she, too, would fail in her duty to him.

She cut off those thoughts with a vicious mental swipe and strengthened her posture. She was Juno Eclipse. Captain in the Rebel Alliance…well, maybe ex-Captain in the Rebel Alliance. She was not weak. She was strong enough for this and he needed her.

Retying her hair into its ponytail she smoothed the collar of her jacket down and stepped up into the ship, following the corridor around to the bridge. PROXY looked up as she entered. The co-pilot seat was empty.

"Ah, Captain, repairs complete?"

"As well as they can be." And without pause. "Where is he?"

"I'm afraid my attempts at cheering him up failed rather miserably, Captain."

At Juno's sharp look, he lifted a placating hand. "He is still on the ship."

"Run the diagnostics again, PROXY."

He replied, but she didn't bother waiting around to hear it. She left him chattering away to himself as she headed back down the corridor, stepping into the training room which, at first glance appeared empty – until she realized that the light was on in the small storage area on the far side of the room. Drawing in a breath to hold back her nerves, she crossed the floor of the training room and approached the doorway. Galen was slouched down in the far corner, his back pressed against the wall to keep him upright. One of the sabers was being turned restlessly in his hands.

Wordlessly, she entered and knelt down at his side, taking him gently by the arm. His body tensed immediately – as if to resist her touch – but her grip tightened with silent warning. She wasn't leaving and nothing he could say or do would have her doing otherwise. She'd had her thinking time – and so had he. Now it was time to talk, no matter how painful doing so would be.

"What are you doing way back here?" She asked softly.

She was actually surprised when he replied.

"He wouldn't shut up. I _wanted_ to shut him up." His tone was so matter-of-fact that it scared her. She remembered his hand reaching for the saber to strike down another enemy—only to find her there instead.

Shoving the thought away with some irritation, Juno cleared a space for herself and sat next to him, her side pressed close to his.

"Talk to me."

"Kota is dead. What else is there to talk about?"

She frowned "Kota…said something to me once. Back when you were—well, you know—gone." Or dead, if she was going to be more blunt. "He said to me that you were at last one with the Force. I didn't really understand what he meant. How could I? I couldn't understand how you did any of the things that you did. But the Force can't die, can it?"

"No." Galen replied quietly.

"Then…Kota isn't really dead." He just wasn't there anymore.

"What are we going to do?"

Juno blinked, utterly surprised. "You're asking me?"

He looked up at her and she saw the complex emotions blazing there in his eyes. Grief, traces of anger and hopelessness. She supposed, thinking about it, this was the first time there hadn't been anyone there to direct him. Vader, the Senators, Kota. Now it was just the two of them and giving him direction was the last thing on her mind. He needed to make this decision and take control of his life. He needed to choose his own path without any outside interference.

"I can't do this alone." He admitted finally.

Her heart clenched. So he had already made his decision then. He was going to go after the clone. She had known that chasing him would have been Galen's first choice, so then why was he worried about having to do it without her? When had she ever let him down on a mission? "You won't have to." She replied firmly. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"He can't be allowed to live. Striking him down in hate isn't an option, either, not if I want to retain my sanity."

"How do you intend to do it, then?"

"I'll finish what Kota started. We've already got him on the run. He's angry and afraid and he can't even rely on his master to help him. He's on his own and that puts him at a disadvantage."

"And if Commodore Viedas can't track him?"

"Sooner or later something is going to go wrong. A volatile clone like him can't stay hidden for long."

"But if we're forced to wait until then, innocent lives could be lost." Juno pointed out worriedly.

"Innocent lives are always being lost." Galen snapped, though he immediately seemed to regret those words. "It may come to that."

She reached out and took his hand, wanting to calm that storm inside of him.

"I'll…try and meditate. Maybe that will bring something to light." He was pulling himself to his feet now and Juno struggled to join him, her legs already falling asleep from the cramped, curled position on the hard floor.

He tried to step past her but she halted him with a hand pressed flat to his chest. "Not so fast. You need to get yourself cleaned up and into some dry clothes."

He looked down as if realizing, for the first time, the state of his garb. Though his clothes were no longer dripping wet they were still cold and damp, mottled with stubborn sand. If he had turned around, the back of his shirt would be stained with blood from the shoulder wound he had torn open during his attempt to bring the clone's shuttle crashing back down.

He regarded her tiredly.

"Go to your bunk. I'll bring the supplies."

* * *

><p>The gash on his shoulder was bloody and inflamed; the edges of the torn flesh swollen with the beginnings of infection. Even so, the tension slowly uncoiled from his shoulders as she applied the salve with gentle fingers. The faint, sweet smell of the bacta was just potent enough to deny her the clean scent of Galen's freshly washed skin.<p>

"Sorry, can you just pass me the dressings?" She asked, reaching out to take the roll of off-white gauze from him.

She thought back to a time long ago now, it seemed, to when she had first taken on the job of flying Starkiller from place to place as he hunted down his targets. Not once had he returned without some injury or other. She could remember – quite clearly – feeling a desperate urge to be able to help him but never having the courage to ask. He had been so sure of himself, so fiercely guarded against her that he would have shot her down in an instant even if she had offered. But now, here he was, trusting her with this; allowing her to help him when, before, he would have insisted on struggling by himself.

She patted the neatly placed bandages, checked to make sure it had been tied securely and then set about binding his ribs, taking care not to pull the gauze too tight. On second thoughts… "Breath in a little bit. I'm worried this might be too loose otherwise."

He drew in a breath and she continued, biting at her lip as she concentrated on her task.

"Still no word from Viedas?" Galen asked.

"No. The more time that passes the more worried I get. The longer he's in hyperspace…" She trailed, shaking her head as she fastened the bandage firmly. "I know…worrying is pointless. Whatever happens will happen. There's nothing we can do until we know more. I just wish we knew more _now_ instead of being left hanging like this." She sighed, patting him tenderly on the uninjured shoulder. "Okay, all done."

"We could make some logical guesses." Galen replied; standing and rolling his shoulders tentatively. The bandages held true.

"I'll make a start on the guesswork." Juno replied, already picturing the holomap in her mind's eye and calculating possibilities. "You: get some rest."

She stood back to give Galen room as he pulled a harvest-gold tunic over his head. The fabric was thin but coarse, the sleeves flaring before being tamed into cuffs that came just short of his knuckles. It was perhaps a little too big but the color complimented the dark-brown of his eyes. She smiled at him as she handed him the dark, leather tabard. Their fingers touched, eliciting sparks that fluttered through her heart. Then she was leaning against the door frame, watching as he shrugged carefully into the garment – the act made awkward by his injured shoulder.

"Don't split the wound again." Juno warned. "I might not be so gentle with patching it up the second time." Her eyes softened. "Get some rest. I'll come and find you the moment we have any news. I promise."

"I told Kota I would go back for him."

"Don't worry." She assured. "The Selonians are going to retrieve their people. Terreef told me they would bring our people out, too." She paused. "The Commodore is sending a shuttle to take them away, back to their families, to be buried, I should think."

"What about Kota?"

"He was good friends with Senator Organa. Perhaps they will take him back to Alderaan?"

"Maybe."

"Galen?"

"I won't be welcome."

Her eyes burned. "Even if you're not, we don't need to be at his funeral to say goodbye, do we?"

"Kota would want us to finish the fight first."

She nodded firmly. "Then that's what we'll do."

His hand came up, brushing blonde tresses of hair behind her ear. She looked up and without warning, he leaned in to kiss her; his mouth firm and resolute on hers. And then his arms were around her waist, her back pressed up against the door frame as she slipped a hand up to the nape of his neck.

And as suddenly as it began, he ended it, pulling away just enough to free his mouth to speak; his lips still brushing over hers. He whispered that he loved her, but gave her no chance to respond, covering her mouth with his again, pulling her tighter against him.

And then, with miraculous timing, the intercom came to life with the sound of PROXY's jovial voice. "Captain? Transmission coming through from the _Armistice_."

They broke apart with some reluctance; their eyes filled with longing. And then Galen's arms fell away and he took a step back.

"Go on through." He urged. "I'll be right behind you."

And as she turned to leave, she saw him securing the belt – sabers already in place – around his waist.

There would be no rest for any of them.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 26th November**


	18. Investigation

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own anything Star Wars**

**Note: ** Thanks again to all of my reviewers/subscribers/readers and to my awesome beta, Liisiko.****

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 18 - Investigation<strong>

**Location: Pellezara Station**

* * *

><p>The Apprentice woke to a horrible stirring sensation in his head, as if someone had reached in and muddled up all the pieces whilst he slept. Groaning in pain and disorientation, he lifted his head up from where it had been resting against his knees and blinked blearily around him.<p>

What was going on?

Had he blacked out?

Using the wall as a support, the Apprentice pushed himself slowly up from where he had been curled in a far corner, wavering from the continual spinning in his head. His wounds pulled tight as he took a slow step forward, a lance of pain shooting up through his knees. He faltered, lifting his hands to his face, noting that his fingernails had carved bloody crescents into his palms.

Why had he tucked himself away in that corner?

Nightmares?

He took a few uneasy steps until his legs felt stronger beneath him and then moved across to the console to try and get a grip on his current situation. At least fifteen warning lights blinked on the displays, their rhythm partnered with a grating, whining alarm.

He put his fist through the screen to silence the sound, relishing in the splintering cracks and the strange relief that came with the pain. It cleared his head. Helped him to think.

Now. Where was he?

The battered shuttle had emerged from hyperspace and was now drifting dejectedly through the dark, empty expanse. Well, not _quite_ empty. Hanging far below him was the distinct shape of a shipyard and beyond that; a planet the color of rust.

Angrily brushing aside broken fragments of console, he jabbed with unnecessary violence at the controls in an attempt to bring up the holomap. The image the screen eventually threw up wobbled precariously but it was good enough for him to pinpoint his location. The co-ordinates had ended up bringing him above the planet of Duro - a short jump away, which would give him enough time to disappear before his wretched 'brother' caught up with him.

His plan had been simple enough. Land (or crash) on a shipyard and steal another shuttle that could take him safely out of harm's way. If he could just keep his head down and stay off of the radar, then maybe, _just maybe_, he could fix all of this. Maybe Vader would spare him. Maybe Vader would even take him back so that he could reclaim what remained of his tattered destiny. But there were too many 'maybes' and his head was pounding.

He dropped back into the pilot's chair, cradling his head in his hands as his frustration grew worse. Why wouldn't his head stay clear? Why did those little voices not leave him alone? Didn't he deserve a bit of peace and quiet after everything he had been through!

The ship lurched suddenly, throwing him sideways in the chair, and he struck out at the console, an ephemeral blast of Force power warping the panels and shattering delicate components.

He…hadn't meant to do that.

With a roar of anger he swept himself back to his feet and wrenched the panel away from its fittings, casting it aside in a fit of rage. The result: a state of semi-calm. His yellow eyes flicked to where the Rebel pilot's body lay, face down on the floor. Perhaps he should have spared his life and used him to land the damn shuttle. He made a mental note to take that into consideration next time.

Pilots: useful.

"Guess I'll be doing this alone then. I'd best dispose of you before I arrive, too. You'd cause too much of a stir if they found you here."

And with the shuttle seemingly failing around him, he used the Force to coax it on a downwards path towards the Pellezara station.

* * *

><p>"Sir? Sir! You can't leave that shuttle there without the proper documentation. Are you listening? You need to go back the way you came and speak with the shipmaster's assistant. There's a fee and you'll need to give details on what repairs are needed before you can go into the station. Sir?"<p>

The Apprentice froze mid-step and his head turned with mechanical precision to meet the gaze of the worker who had seen fit to question him. His golden eyes narrowed and he veered off course to turn and face him. It was fortunate for the worker that the Apprentice wished to keep his presence here as low key as possible, otherwise he'd have crushed the man without any hesitation at all.

Instead, he drove into his mind, seeking to dominate. It was a surprisingly easy thing to accomplish and feeling the man's will give way beneath his attack brought him a great satisfaction.

"I don't need to speak with the assistant."

"You don't need to speak with the assistant." The reply was instantaneous.

"I can go on my way."

Sluggishly, the man stepped aside, holding out an arm to gesture him through. "You can go on your way, Sir."

He left the shuttle behind and slipped in amongst the crowds, trying to keep the limp from his gait as much as possible and glad for the jacket – Giles' jacket – that hid the tattered clothing and bandages beneath. A flash of memory angered him; the inferior clone pushing that metal into his flesh to pin him in place. The attack had gouged deep wounds into his flesh that he'd managed to wrap with clumsy, shaking hands. It had been an agonizing effort but it was nothing that bacta couldn't fix – given a bit of time. Then, when he was healed and back in control, he could weave his plans to reclaim what was rightfully his. He'd already killed one of his three targets and of the two that remained, only one would prove to be difficult. The woman could be manipulated and crushed as easily as he had killed those soldiers. He also knew that she would have to die last or else risk the inferior clone turning back down the dark path and reclaiming his lost power.

Then he found his anger again to think of being afraid of a clone who was inferior. He had sought out the weak path, chosen to turn aside the destiny that Vader had offered to him. There was no strength in that. No power at all.

So why, then, did he feel so afraid?

Gritting his teeth, he shoved past a dawdling, grey-haired man and hastened ahead. He had to keep control of his anger. Stop thinking about that inferior being and concentrate on how he could reclaim his greatness. No doubt his abandoned shuttle would cause a stir once someone realized it was docked without permission. He wanted to be well away before anyone could start up a search for him. Unfortunately, leaving here without causing a scene was not going to be a swift process. He'd need to find a ship that he could quietly slip away in without anyone noticing.

But how?

His first thought had been to steal a ship, but he was realizing, now, that doing so would cause enough of a disturbance that anyone trying to track him down could do so with relative ease.

No. What he wanted to do was slip off the grid. Disappear altogether. This meant smuggling himself onto a ship without anyone knowing of their extra 'crew member'. Unfortunately, doing this gave him no control of where he might end up and there were no guarantees that he'd even be able to find a suitable vessel leaving within the next hour or so.

Drawing in a breath of metallic, dry air, he lifted his head to check the overhead display on his exact location. A holomap of the area was highlighted against the dull, brown backdrop, casting a faint, bluish glow that touched the smooth surfaces with a simulated radiance. Even this station held a rusty quality about it, as if to reflect the polluted state of the planet hanging far below. Everywhere there lingered the stink of oil, machinery, smoke and the stale sweat of the people milling to and fro.

He passed by a few lounges, an incredibly rundown looking hotel and then a large doorway illuminated by a sign that gave him some sparse hope. A cantina. And where there was a cantina, there were gatherings of crew and their pilots. A long shot, perhaps, but one worth taking.

He stepped inside and took a brief moment to scan the room. It was larger than he thought, shaped like a 'half-moon' with a crescent shaped bar at the far side. It was only sparsely populated and the air quality seemed improved by the tang of the drinks being served. He persuaded the bartender to part with a free beverage (you don't want me to pay for this drink) and settled himself in a corner to listen, closing his eyes in an attempt to help him focus. There was a bustle of life all around him. A group of Duros natives chattered drunkenly in some sort of celebration. A pair of Rodians were muttering quietly under their breath about some knock their ship had taken. An elderly human was trying to impress a younger one with stories of battles long gone. He picked through each conversation, filtering through the information he was able to understand.

It wasn't long before he grew bored and agitated, shifting irritably in his seat as he struggled to find anything of use amongst the drivel. Was there no one who was preparing to set off? No one who was in a hurry to be away from this place?

And then the volume dropped and his golden eyes flashed open to seek the cause.

Not far away, striding smugly across the room to the bar, were three Imperial officers in full uniform.

The clone felt his eyebrows lift in surprise and then he looked away, drawing his focus down to his empty glass. And then questions and plans hastened through his head.

A waitress came to clear his glass away and he caught her by the wrist, startling her. His grip tightened briefly until he remembered he didn't want to kill her. Talk. Not kill. Talk. Don't cause a scene.

Pulling her closer, he gestured towards the Imperials with as subtle a motion he could manage. "What're they doing here?"

The woman took a brief glance before turning back, her brows furrowed with concern. "You done something to upset them?"

"Answer the question."

"Uh, they come by now and again. Not the same men, mind, but people noticed that they've been showing up more recently, though. They say something's going on somewhere in this sector. Don't trust 'em."

"They?"

"You know, people here."

He let go of her wrist and said no more. The woman, seeming confused, took his glass and set it on her tray. "I'll bring you another?"

He barely heard her, lost in his thoughts of the possibilities this presented. Would the officers stay long? Would he be able to go with them? If they were involved in something important, could he use it to his advantage? Could he contact Vader? Tell him of his partial success? Convince him to give just a little more time to carry out his orders and prove himself worthy to be his apprentice? Surely he deserved another chance. Surely he'd done enough to prove that he was willing to carry out these orders and that he was not having a weak change of heart. He would not falter at cutting off the ties his original had created. He would not.

He took the offered drink without a word and slouched over it, mulling over the possibilities as he tried to hone in on which one would see him in the greatest advantage. The overwhelming sense of implausibility ran his thoughts into exhausting circles. He could see no clear way out. No way to bring everything back under his control. Even if he managed to carry out his orders and kill the faulty clone and that wretched woman, Vader was not predictable.

And what if Vader turned on him?

Would he be able to harness the power of the Dark Side to defeat him?

And if he did, what then? A master-less apprentice without a purpose. Without meaning.

A stab of pain ran across the surface of his skull and the glass in his hand shattered. He jerked to his feet, startled, and his eyes snapped up to see the backs of the officers as they left the cantina.

Shoving the fussing waitress aside, he hastened to follow them, deciding to go by instinct and spontaneity instead of thinking and planning ahead. He'd carry out Vader's orders and deal with the consequences of his failure later. Time was out and every moment he wasted, the gap between him and that inferior clone grew shorter and shorter.

Thankfully, trailing the men proved relatively easy. The crowds parted to let them on their way, clearly no one willing to risk angering the armed men as they marched. He followed, not really sure where he was going but aware that the walkways were becoming emptier and less traveled. The lack of a crowd had him hanging back further and further to avoid being spotted. A group of passing mechanics gave him odd looks and he turned his head away to prevent eye contact. There was no time to stop for questioning, or even to stop to kill them.

And then, at last, he heard the officers slow to a halt followed by a murmuring of voices and the grinding sound of a door sliding open. They'd finally arrived, then? Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped out of cover and moved down the corridor. At the far end, the door had already moved closed again and a heavily armed Imperial soldier stepped forwards to bar his way. The man was neatly groomed, his dark eyes sharp and suspicious. He raised his rifle to point directly at the Apprentice's chest.

"Stop right there."

The Apprentice did as he was told, raising both hands in a sign of amity.

"What's your business here? Do you have the access codes for this area?"

With no sense of morality, he drove into the man's mind, mildly surprised to find him briefly able to struggle against the push for control. The struggle was futile, however, and in the end only encouraged the Sith to press harder. Too hard, in fact. The soldier cowered and then, with a cry of hysterical fear, made a break for it, tripping over himself in his desperation to escape.

Now alone, the Apprentice eased open the door with careful precision and stepped through into a private docking bay. In the closest bay sat a small Imperial shuttle, engineers bustling busily around it as they made their final preparations. One engineer cowered under the raised voice of one of the officers, clearly trying to explain himself out of a tricky situation. The exchange was brief, the officer dismissing him with an angry exclamation. Then he moved to board the ship.

The clone hesitated for just a moment, considering the possibility that this could be one of the worst mistakes he ever made. But what choice did he have? It was this or remain and confront his other self and he wasn't ready to do that yet. He needed to be at full strength. He needed to clear his head.

Swiftly, he crossed the open expanse of the docking bay, sliding behind some cargo to stay hidden as a couple of dock workers walked by; datapads in hand.

The deep, steady rumble of the Imperial shuttle powering up masked the voices of the workers as they passed him by. Then, in that moment, he had approximately ten seconds to cross the temporarily empty expanse to the shuttle and board before anyone could notice.

He ran.

* * *

><p>"We've lost too much time." Galen paced the cockpit impatiently as Juno guided the<em> Rogue Shadow<em> down onto the station, her expert hand bringing the ship down with smooth and precise movements.

"Maybe not." She tried to assure.

"Open the ramp." He insisted. "I need to get down there."

"Wait. Let me come with you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one." Though that wasn't her only reason for wanting to go with him.

"No. You need to stay here with PROXY."

She set her jaw stubbornly and drew up her shoulders to meet his defiant gaze. "Don't be ridiculous. You are not yourself. Let me go with you."

"Juno-" He cut himself off, exasperated, but realizing – at the same time – that he needed to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to fight with her about this. Not again.

"The likelihood of him still being on this station is slim. Let me help. Every second we waste here arguing is another second he's got to get away."

Instead of replying, his eyes snapped up to the holodroid who was waiting for orders of his own. "PROXY, make sure she doesn't leave the ship."

"Of course, Master."

"What? No!" She grabbed him by the wrist in a lame attempt to stop him from leaving.

"Please don't argue with me about this. I won't be long."

"Are we always going to be fighting about this?" Juno replied. "You can't do this alone. Don't you trust me to help? I might not be a Jedi but I _can_ gather information. You can't keep shutting me out like this."

"Of course I trust you. But you're more help to me right here."

She shook her head but his pleading gaze silenced any protest she might have made. Those dark, _dark_ eyes were so incredibly earnest and worried. It was so hard to be angry with him when he gave her that look.

"Please?" He urged gently.

After the briefest of pauses - her face stern with the grim admittance of defeat - she activated the loading ramp with an infuriated slap. She heard the mechanisms working as the ramp was lowered.

His eyes grew apologetic but she turned away; a touch of bitterness hardening her features. She felt his fingers touch at the inside of her wrist but she stepped back away from him, refusing to be consoled. "You'd best get going then."

"Juno—"

"—Time's wasting." She interrupted. "Go."

And he did. He left.

And only when she was certain he had gone, did she vent her anger, cursing so colorfully that even PROXY seemed at a loss for words.

Furiously, she brought up a damage report and began compiling a list of components that needed to be purchased to bring the _Rogue Shadow_ back up to speed. Then she hastily backtracked. Without funds from the Alliance, there would not be enough to make all the necessary repairs. The problem with a prototype ship is that they often ran on more expensive equipment and it might do more harm than good to replace those expensive components with cheaper versions that could negatively affect any number of things.

Again she thought of the future. A future where she wasn't involved in the war that raged furiously through the galaxy. A future where she wasn't 'Captain Eclipse'. A future where she was just…just an ordinary woman. She wasn't sure how she felt about that; giving up everything she had worked for. Yet, at the same time, she was tired of it all. This life had brought her such incredible heartache. Was it worth it? Was it worth such sacrifice when, in the end, she'd just become another forgotten statistic?

And then there was Galen to consider.

She was worried about him. Desperately worried. It didn't help that he refused to let her share the burden. Refused to let her put herself at any sort of risk to better things. He was afraid, and she could understand that, but he couldn't always protect her. Nor did she want him constantly having to look out for her. She could defend herself if need be.

Her eyes slid across to the blaster lying idle in its holster – looped around one of the cables.

She wondered what Kota would do in this situation and felt the touch of a smile at the corner of her mouth. She knew exactly what he would say.

_"Stop being so stubborn and pay attention to me, boy. I may be an old man but I'm not going to stand aside while you send everything to hell."_

Her fingers curled tight into fists. Okay, so she wasn't a Jedi. She couldn't move things with the Force. She couldn't fight off a Sith or wield sabers or perform amazing acrobatics. But she could shoot a blaster as well as any soldier and she was smart, too. Smart enough to know when to back down and hang low. Smart enough to know when to press the attack. She could think quick on her feet, push herself to her limits and succeed where others couldn't.

She was Juno _damn_ Eclipse and she was not going to sit idle when she could be doing something to help.

Without warning, she leapt to her feet and reached for the blaster, slinging it around her waist and fastening the buckle.

PROXY regarded her a slight tilt to his head; confused.

"I'm going to go and track down some parts for the ship." She announced. "Take care of things while I'm gone, okay?"

"Sorry, Captain, but Master did say I was to stop you from leaving."

"Yes, that's all well and good, except I'm not going out to look for a murderous Sith. I'm going to look for a trader. Besides, you can see the store from here." It was true enough. The trader's horribly tacky sign was lit up in sleazy pink. What wasn't true was that she had no intention of spending her whole time there – just a small portion of it.

"But I don't think that—" The droid faltered.

In the time it had taken the holodroid to turn and inspect the trader's store and look back again, she was gone.

The droid gave a long, sorrowful sigh. "Things would be so much easier if humans could be reprogrammed."

* * *

><p>The Apprentice crouched in the cargo hold, knees curled tight to his chest, head between his hands. His fingers curled into his scalp, pressing tightly against his skull in an attempt to keep the pain at bay. It worked – to some extent at least – but the memories came as they always did. Taunting him. Mocking him. He must have cried out at some point, because he was brought back to awareness by the heavy tread of Imperial boots.<p>

He felt shadows drape over him; partially blocking out the synthetic, harsh glare of the light emitters above.

"Looks like we have ourselves a stowaway, men." One of them sneered.

The Sith lifted his head.

"What are you? Some sort of refugee?"

The pair of officers were well-armed and backed up by three stormtroopers. They could have had hundreds at their side. It would have made no difference. The clone would have torn through them all the same.

"What's wrong? Scared? You should be. We don't take kindly to freeloaders."

He gave them no warning. No snarl of anger. No battle cry. Not even a subtle twitch of his fingers as prepared to reach for his sabers. One moment he was seated, hunched amongst the cargo and the next; the contrasting blades were alive and hungry in his grasp.

He paused for only a moment to see the stark realization reflected in their eyes and then he fell upon them like a blood-thirsty Drexl.

They died easily. Too easily.

He stood over them, in pain and seething with rage, and wished they would get up again so he could break them a second time. But they lay there motionless and bleeding; no threat at all. Pathetic.

With a growl, he swept them all aside with the Force and returned to his corner, crouching in the shadows, feeling the waves of tormenting pain roll over him once more. The memories returned to him again. Some belonging to a dead man. Others belonging to him.

"I was made for this." He hissed lowly in the dark. "I was made for this."

Somewhere, lying discarded close by, a com-link chattered to life. The voice of a gruff male hissed across the line, the tone distorting through a damaged speaker. "Jacobs…ort…dge… Report to…bridge." There was a stretch of static and then the voice came again. "I repeat: Report to the bridge. Jacobs? Do you…py?"

The Apprentice estimated he had about ten minutes before more troops arrived on the scene to find out what had happened to one of their commanding officers.

He was wrong.

It was more like eight.

* * *

><p>"So you're going to organize for this to be taken away, right? We can't just have an abandoned ship here. If these friends of yours don't come by to collect it or pay for repairs, we'll strip it down and use it for parts." The engineer wiped a greasy palm against the leg of his overalls.<p>

Galen frowned at the broken shuttle. "And you say you don't know what happened to the guy who brought it here?"

"Nah-uh." The eyes narrowed. "He's your brother or something, right?"

Galen felt his anger pull taut. "Something like that."

"Riiiiight." The engineer drawled, edging away slightly. "Just tell us what to do with the ship."

"I can't tell you what the decision will be. It's not my call. I'll have to come back and let you know. Can you at least point me in the direction the guy went?"

The engineer, at this point, seemed to lose faith in ever finding out about what to do with the shuttle. "Uh, where everyone goes." He pointed towards a large door that led away from the huge docking bay. "Probably hiding somewhere in the crowds. He a criminal or something?"

"That—that is none of your concern."

The engineer deadpanned.

"Can I get information on what ships left this station in the last few hours?"

"Not from me. You'll need to talk to the dock master. He'll be in his office just through there. Don't expect him to be of any help, though. Confidentiality and all that." He indicated with a bored flourish of a hand. "Now, if there's nothing else, will you let me go and do my job?"

Galen glared at him. "Fine."

He turned and stalked off across the busy docking bay, wondering how exactly he was going to arrange for the shuttle to be retrieved. Perhaps Viedas was already dealing with it. He supposed he ought to contact Juno and get her to organize it, but, he had a feeling she probably wouldn't want to talk to him.

He sighed.

Okay, so maybe he had overreacted, but until he knew that the clone was dead, he couldn't help but feel she was in danger of being targeted. It was more than likely that Vader's orders had been for his new apprentice to kill all three of them. Surely she could understand his desire to ensure she was safe?

Summoning his courage, he called through to the _Rogue Shadow_. "Juno, you there? Juno?"

There was a brief pause before a rather sheepish sounding PROXY replied. "Sorry Master. The captain is not here."

"What?"

"She insisted on seeking out parts to make repairs to the—"

"—PROXY, what was it about 'don't let her leave the ship' that you didn't understand?"

"I'm sorry, Master. I couldn't stop her without using force."

"No, no. It's alright. It's not your fault." His breath came out in a rush. "Where did you say she was?"

"Looking for parts for the ship at the trader's store."

"I'm right across from it. She's not there."

"Juno wouldn't lie, would she, Master?"

"Yes she would. File that in your memory for future reference, will you?" He cast his eyes about. "I'm going to look for her."

* * *

><p>The duel blades extinguished with an angry snap and, stepping over the lifeless bodies, he wondered how long it would be before everyone on the ship lay dead. It hadn't been his intention to kill at all. Unfortunately, circumstances had called for it and now the second squad sent down to investigate the unresponsiveness of the first lay dead.<p>

And how pitiful they had all been. So weak and easily broken; their blaster fire easily deflected, their soft innards easily scored by the lightsabers now deactivated at his belt.

He wondered, idly, how easy it would be to replace such men – these officers – and another memory came to him.

_"The Emperor must not discover you. Leave no witnesses. Kill everyone aboard; Imperials and Kota's men alike."_

The memory drove that all too familiar, blinding pain into his skull and he recoiled into himself, hissing through his teeth in an attempt to expel the unwelcome presence in his head.

"Yes, Master." He responded to that memory, his swimming eyes wavering across the dead faces of the slaughtered Imperials. The stench of their seared flesh knotted in his stomach and he exited the room only to stagger down a corridor and into a passing patrol.

He didn't give them a chance to flee or even to raise their weapons. The Sith Lightning blasted from him and engulfed them in horrific blue light; their twisted screams the thing of nightmares.

Everyone would die. Just as Vader had instructed.

_'Leave no witnesses.'_

_Soon,_ he thought to himself, _soon I will be able to release this anger. I'll find a way to complete my mission._ And maybe then, with the inferior clone dead, the voices would disappear and he'd be able to rise up to his full potential and take his rightful place at Vader's side.

* * *

><p>Galen found her speaking with the dock master; clearly one step ahead of him and already deep in conversation. And, as irritating as it was, he had to admire her for her ability to gather information so quickly and readily – even if she was putting herself at risk by doing so.<p>

"I understand that I'm asking for a lot." She said. "And I don't ask lightly, I can assure you that. If the situation wasn't so dire, I wouldn't be here, but our leads have run dry and we really need to track this person down before he can cause anymore damage."

The dock master rubbed a hand over his wrinkled brow. He was a short, rounded man with grey threaded thickly through his unkempt beard. "Even if I did give you the information you're asking for, how could you use it to track him? The numbers are expansive."

"From what we know of this man, we're hoping that we can strike off most of them."

He sighed, looking torn.

"You have my word that no one will find out where this information came from."

"Nowadays, having someone's word doesn't seem to count for much."

"I have nothing to offer but my word." Juno replied.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you."

Galen stepped forwards to intervene, but Juno continued to press on and he hung back.

"What would we have to gain by revealing the source of our information? All we need is the destinations of the recent ships to have left and you won't ever hear from us again. Please."

His watery eyes narrowed and he sat heavily back in his chair. "Why exactly are you hunting for this man?"

"He…killed some very important people and stole one of our shuttles – which he left abandoned on your docking bay. He poses a dangerous threat if left to his own devices and not just to those who openly oppose the Empire. He's a loose cannon. He'd turn against his own men if given the chance." She hardened her eyes. "I'm surprised that he didn't cause trouble when he was here."

"He_ could_ still be here." The dock master pointed out.

"He knew we were coming for him, he'd have made his escape as quickly as possible."

"Listen." The man stood again, his joints popping. "I'll take a look through the listings myself and if anything unusual crops up, I'll let you know. Maybe you should go and do some investigating. He had to have spoken or been seen by someone here. Close up the time frame and maybe I can avoid giving you confidential information needlessly."

"Then you'll help us?"

"I'm not making any promises."

"No one will find out about this." Juno repeated firmly.

He gave a low grunt. "Come by when you've got more information for me and I'll see what I can do."

Galen, who had retreated to wait outside of the man's office, stepped in alongside her as she exited. "Funny. PROXY told me you would be at the trader's place."

"How did you get on?" She asked, clearly not wanting to start up another argument.

"They want to know what is going to happen to the shuttle."

"We'll contact the Commodore once we're done here." She came to an abrupt halt and fixed him with a firm glare. "Let's head into the station and ask around."

He looked like he wanted to argue with her, so she seized the moment, taking him by the hand and leading him across to the station's main entrance. "Stop worrying. It'll be like that time on Nar Shaddaa when we were looking for—" She caught herself. _When they had been looking for Kota._

Kota was dead.

It took her a moment to gather herself and continue where she had left off. "I was with you then and nothing bad happened."

"Fine, fine. Okay. Just stick close."

She squeezed his hand and he felt strangely unsettled by that victorious smile curling at her mouth. He wondered, very briefly, if he'd ever win an argument against her or whether she'd get him every time.

They ended up separating almost immediately upon entering the station, sharing the rooms between them as they moved up the corridor. Small lounges, cluttered workshops, convenience stores and information desks. Mainly, there were crowded waiting rooms filled with dirty, bored pilots and crew or engineers on their breaks. Some people, when asked, had recalled seeing a man with golden eyes, but none of them had a clue where he'd been heading.

Their paths crossed and Juno gave a weary sigh, leaning tiredly against the wall. Galen leaned back next to her.

"Any luck?" He asked.

"He was here, but that's all I can tell. He was clearly trying to keep a low profile whilst he was moving about. How about you?"

"Much the same."

"So, where to next?" Juno continued, glancing around.

"We've got three more places in this sector of the station. One of which being the cantina. Maybe we should have checked there first."

"It's hard to predict anything that he might do." Juno pointed out. "Come on, we'll try there next."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update scheduled for: 10th December**


	19. Consequences

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars TFU.**

**Note: Hello again, everyone! A quick thank you to my new subscribers and my lovely reviewers! Also a big thanks to Liisiko for your help, as always! Couldn't do this without you. Just to let everyone know that there will be an early update next week.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 19 - <strong>**Consequences**

**Location: Pellezara Station **

* * *

><p>"Sorry, Sir. I've just started my shift." The waitress apologized as she wiped down one of the tables. "I didn't see no guy with yellow eyes."<p>

Galen's patience ebbed. "So who_ was_ here, then?"

"The boss. He's always here." She pointed towards a scruffy looking Duros tending the bar and Galen left her to her work and stalked over to the him, pausing only to cast a look around to check on Juno. She was speaking with a group of women who had been standing close to the door as they had entered. From the shaking of heads, he gathered she was not having much luck.

Turning back, he leaned against the bar and met the Duros' large, red eyes.

"What'll it be, human?"

"Just information."

"Free information?" The Duros' smooth brow wrinkled with curiosity.

"Yes." Galen replied, perhaps a little too sharp. "I need to know if you saw someone in here today."

"Many someones." The bartender replied with an amused, thin-lipped smile. "You'll have to be more specific."

Galen bit back his frustration and forced himself to calm. Getting angry would only prolong the amount of time it would take to get him to talk. It might even keep him from talking at all. "Listen. He would have looked a bit like me. Gold eyes, broken nose. All bandaged up."

"Yeah, yeah, I saw a man like that. Was sitting right over there not too long ago. Broke a glass before he left. Spent a bit of time talking to one of my girls."

"Who? Which girl?"

The bartender grew suddenly suspicious. "What's going on here, pal? He a relative of yours?"

Galen felt himself bristle. "Yes. He took something from me and I want it back. I've spent a long time tracking him here." He set both hands against the bar. "So tell me who he was talking to so I can get out of your way."

"Fine, fine. It was Elena, but she's already gone on her break so you're fresh out of luck."

"When will she be back?"

"Not until her evening shift."

"You know where she lives?"

"And that's all the free information you'll get." The Duros replied firmly, peering past Galen's shoulder in dismissal. "Come back later or not at all. Doesn't bother me which."

Juno was crossing the room to meet with him as he turned away from the bar. Her eyes looked expectant and he returned that hopefulness with a grim smile.

"Nothing?" She queried.

"A lead but not an immediate one." He sighed, running fingers through his hair; absently noting that it was in need of a cut.

"Back to the ship, then? You can explain to me on the way there."

"The person we need isn't back on the job until later. Apparently the clone was seen talking to her."

"He could have been ordering a drink whilst he was planning his next move." Juno theorized. "This might not get us any further in our search."

"He was here for a reason." Galen insisted. "We can't give up."

"No." She agreed. "We can't and we won't. Come on, let's get back to the ship and try and make contact with Viedas. We need to organize what is happening with the shuttle."

She took him by the hand again and led him against the flow of people, back out onto the docking bay where there was more room to move and the air was just a little less stale. The orange-grey metal of the construct was probably supposed to look warm. It just looked rusty and old, as if the whole station was some ancient relic that might crumble away. At this angle, the polluted planet wasn't in view and Juno was thankful for that.

"I wonder if Viedas has set course for Corellia yet."

"He may be waiting for news from us first." Galen pointed out.

"And since the shuttle is here, he's not in any immediate danger, anyway." Juno replied. "I wonder how he got on with the Senators."

"I don't expect they'll take kindly to his involvement."

"No." Juno agreed, thinking back to a time when she'd been temporarily demoted for aiding Kota with his mission at Cato Neimoidia. "They won't like it at all. It went against a direct order."

Galen, sensing her dour mood, gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "What's wrong?"

Juno realized, then, that there had been so much that had happened since they'd be reunited, so much that they hadn't said because there was never any time. Her untold grief. Her time as a Captain in the Alliance; serving on the _Salvation_. Her clashes with the Senators when they considered her actions too dangerous and irresponsible.

"There's so much we need to talk about." Juno replied quietly.

He looked worried.

"We're never given the opportunity to just catch up." She continued wearily. "There's always something happening. Some disaster. Some mission."

He looked suddenly tired and she wondered whether she looked the same. She felt utterly drained but there was never any time to pause and recharge. There was so much that still needed to be done, including speaking with the Senators and trying to figure out exactly where they fitted in the bigger picture now that their mission had gone so horribly wrong.

"If we had succeeded, we wouldn't have had to worry about Viedas or how we might be seen." Juno continued grimly. "A victory would have meant that they would have had an easier time in overlooking our defiance."

"Breaking the rules is fine so long as it brings good results." Galen growled.

"Pretty much." She ascended the loading ramp and moved through to the cockpit. "They'll probably want to call a meeting with us. We need to discuss how we're going to go forward."

"Welcome back, Master." PROXY chimed. "Did you find any repair parts, Captain?"

Juno blinked rapidly. "Uh, no. Nothing within our budget anyway."

"You knew that without even looking?" Galen replied smoothly, casting her a knowing look which she tried to meet without looking guilty. She succeeded. Barely.

"Alright, let's get communications set up." Juno announced, dropping into the pilot's seat with some relief. The back of the chair sagged as Galen leaned against it.

As to be expected, the distrustful Lieutenant from before was there to handle their transmission and Juno gave the same, jaded responses as she had the last time.

"I'm sorry but the Commodore is in a meeting of some importance at the moment."

"_Some_ importance?" Juno frowned.

"He was specifically asked not to be disturbed. If you like, I can mark your communication as a priority for when he is available."

"Perhaps you could help us, instead. We've tracked down the stolen shuttle." She read out the registration. "And the engineers here want to know whether funds will be provided to make the necessary repairs – and to pay the obligatory docking fee."

"Bear with me one moment. I believe there has been a note about this." There was a pause, followed by a frantic tapping, and then: "Yes, it looks like repairs have been agreed. In fact, it looks like this has already been forwarded to the appropriate personnel on the Pellezara station. Is that all you needed?"

"Yes. That's all."

Juno closed the link and fell back against the chair.

"You think it's the Senators?" Galen asked.

"Without a doubt." Juno sighed deeply. "I'd hazard a guess that it won't be long before they try making contact with us."

She was right. It took less than half an hour before PROXY alerted them to an incoming transmission.

Their eyes met silently and, smoothing back her hair, she accepted the link.

"This is Eclipse." She responded; her voice perfectly calm despite the nerves that were fluttering through her.

"Glad you're there." Viedas' voice crackled. "I understand that you tried to contact me whilst I was in a meeting."

"With the Senators?"

"That is correct." He paused as if expecting her to reply. She didn't. "They are not happy with my involvement in aiding you on tracking down Vader's apprentice. Fortunately, it looks like I'll be keeping my job."

"That is good news."

"Unfortunately." The Rodian continued ruefully. "I am not permitted to contact you with support or aid until the matter of your insubordination has been discussed with the Senators."

"We both know what the outcome will be, Commodore." Juno replied wearily. Viedas had been there during her last little mishap of 'breaking the rules'.

"They did not agree with the actions taken, but they are not fools, Juno. They know and admire the skills that you both have and they will not so willingly throw them away."

Juno didn't agree with him, still certain that if events had not played out the way they had, she would have been permanently dismissed from the rank of captain long ago. "We're looking to fight this war too differently, Commodore. They place much in caution and not enough in action."

"Leia Organa is eager to make contact with you."

"We will speak with them." Juno replied. How could they not? "When is it to be arranged?"

"Time will be needed for a secure channel to be set up."

"We're hoping to be away from Pellezara station as soon as possible if our current lead proves fruitful."

"You should prepare yourselves for the possibility that the Senators will not want you following that lead. It's more than likely that they will want you to abandon your search altogether."

Juno heard Galen's sharp intake of breath and reached up to set a hand against his arm. The muscles in his forearm were wound tight beneath her touch.

To be fair, the Rodian did sound aggrieved and Juno hastily responded before Galen could intervene. "That is a possibility. Thank you for the warning."

"We'll convene in three standard hours."

Juno checked the time. "Understood. We should have more information on the clone's whereabouts by then."

Perhaps new information might help arm them against the confrontation with the Senators, though Juno didn't hold out much hope for that.

* * *

><p>Juno managed to convince Galen to let her do the talking when they returned to the cantina, leaving him to hover anxiously in the doorway as she asked for Elena.<p>

"Speaking, darling. What can I get you?"

Elena's appearance was rather flamboyant in comparison to those around her. She was short and curvy with dark hair cropped to her chin; feathered to resemble the texture of a bird's wings. Her skin was pale – a sure sign of someone spending most of their time on a space station – and elaborately painted with dark-colored make-up. Her clothes were suggestive, but not overly so, and Juno felt rather plain and tatty standing opposite her in a battered, leather jacket; sleeves bunched at the elbows and a pair of well-worn slacks.

"I'm looking for someone. Your boss said you might have spoken to him earlier today?"

She smiled prettily. "He must be handsome if you're putting so much effort into tracking him down."

Juno felt herself frowning. "No. That's not it. Unfortunately, he's gotten himself into a spot of bother and I've been left to pick up the pieces. He's tall with cropped hair, possibly injured and has yellow eyes."

"Ah, _him_. Yes, he did look like a troublemaker."

"Did you get a chance to speak with him whilst he was here? Anything to indicate what he was up to or where he might be going?"

"Hm, not a lot really. He didn't seem the talkative type. Grabbed my wrist real hard, too." She lifted her arm to slide the bangles up to reveal a blotchy, purple bruise on her skin. "Not pretty."

"Why did he do that?"

"Wanted to get my attention, I think. He was asking about these officers that came in."

"Officers?"

"Yeah, you know, the Imperials."

Juno's eyes widened. "Imperial officers were here? Do you know why?"

"Same as everyone else, probably. Stop off for repairs. They weren't here for long, didn't even sit down. That guy you're after was interested in them, though."

"Do they come here a lot?"

"Every now and again. A bit more recently, though."

_At last,_ Juno thought with barely contained excitement. _We've found him!_

* * *

><p>Juno rubbed her fingers through Galen's freshly cut hair and smiled at his low growl of appreciation. He had been sitting quietly, probably mulling over the last day or so, eyes staring out across the docking bay. The dark circles were still there beneath his eyes, though his face seemed to relax at the attention.<p>

She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the line of his jaw and his hand came up to run through her hair, unwittingly tugging it from its place tucked behind her ear.

"Do you think a shuttle has been sent to Selonia, yet?" He asked.

"I would think so." She leaned down to rest her hands against his shoulders; rubbing them gently with her fingertips. His dark eyes lifted to look at her and she felt strangely self-conscious, wondering just how awful she, herself, must look.

His hands were warm on her waist as he tugged her down onto his lap and she curled gratefully against him, her head nestled up under his chin. And the warmth of him was enough to lull her into a drowsy state, her eyes half-lidded as she peered across the empty cockpit. PROXY had taken his leave to do some self-repair work.

"I wish…" But she had spoken without thinking and she didn't know what she wished.

Galen's arms tightened around her and his voice vibrated in her ear as he spoke. "That things could be simple?"

She nodded wearily and snuggled closer. Her eyes felt weighted now and she struggled to keep them open.

Then, what felt like only seconds later – which, in reality, was about twenty minutes – a high-pitched, regular bleeping intruded on her momentary peace. She jerked out of sleep, cracking her head sharply against Galen's jaw. He gave a muffled complaint and she murmured a hasty apology as she tried to gain her bearings, rubbing at her bruised skull as she struggled off of his lap.

Great. Now they were going to be interrogated by the Senators and she felt utterly incoherent.

Galen struggled out of his chair; his legs having gone to sleep. He looked equally dazed, though he seemed to recover more quickly than she; his eyes meeting hers as she reached across to accept the link.

"Are you ready, Captain?" Viedas' voice sounded clipped – a sign of his nervousness.

"We are."

"I'll patch you through."

"Captain Eclipse?" The voice was a woman's, curt and sterile. It was Mon Mothma.

Juno confirmed.

"And the clone is with you?"

She bit back a rude response and Galen answered for himself.

"Yes. The_ clone_ is here and able to speak for himself."

There was a moment of silence. "I've been assigned the task of updating you on Alliance progress. Unfortunately, the other Senators are unavailable at this time."

"Unavailable? But I thought that—"

"—You thought wrong, Captain." The Senator replied. "An Imperial Homing Beacon was discovered on Dantooine whilst rebels were searching the wreckage for survivors after the clone attack. The beacon had been badly damaged, but it was decided that the planet should be evacuated without any further delay. Senator Garm Bel Iblis is currently at hand, organizing the last remaining troops. The base will be completely deserted before the day is out."

"Leia Organa mentioned it was only a temporary base. I take it everything will be moved to a more suited location?"

"Senator Organa was correct. Preparations are well underway. It was a little sooner than anticipated but expected nonetheless." And she switched onto the next subject with barely a pause. "However, that is not the focus of this meeting. I'm here to inform you that your dealings on Selonia have brought about serious consequences."

"We are well aware of the consequences, Senator." Juno replied. "Kota was—"

"—A valuable asset who will be much missed by us all. Yes." Mon Mothma continued. "His death is regrettable but he, at least, has found peace. We, on the other hand, must continue to fight and your refusal to follow orders is deeply disturbing. This is not the first time you have done so, Captain and you well remember what happened previously."

Juno swallowed.

"As such, the Senators and I have decided that it would be best if we meet in person to make our feelings known. We all wish to find a way to move forwards together without this animosity."

"Animosity?" Galen snapped. "Is that what you'd call it?"

"Our ideals and motives are not the same." Mon Mothma replied firmly. "And this is clearly becoming an issue." She paused to give them a chance to respond, but both remained silent. "We've agreed to meet onboard the _Armistice_ before it docks at Corellia. Viedas will be sending co-ordinates once he has arrived."

"Unfortunately, that won't be possible."

"Excuse me?"

"We've picked up on a lead that we need to follow through." Juno knew she was pushing her luck, but she wasn't going to back down without trying.

"A lead on the other clone you let escape?"

"We didn't _let_ him escape." Galen interrupted, growing angrier by the moment. "We did all we could."

"And yet it was not enough. What makes you think another encounter could bring any different result?"

"He got lucky." Galen replied. "He won't get lucky again."

"Then I must warn you. If you decide to go after this clone and risk us further, we will have no choice but to cease our alliance with you."

Juno met Galen's eyes. She could see the cold, helpless fury in them. Her heart constricted to see it there.

"Captain Eclipse?" Mon Mothma urged for a response.

"Very well." Juno responded. "We'll be there. Eclipse out." And she cut the signal and waited for Galen's anger to turn on her for what he would surely see as a betrayal.

"Juno?" He sounded more hurt than angry. "What are you doing?"

"The only thing we can do."

"What? Just forget and move on?"

"No. Never that." She insisted. "Buying time."

"We don't have time."

"But we can't do this alone, either." She reminded softly. "The _Rogue Shadow_ needs repairs. We need supplies. Give me a chance to talk to them. Perhaps I can convince them to see our point of view and realize that they can't just ignore this problem like they want to. The other Senators will not be as set against it as Mon Mothma is. Perhaps we can convince them."

"Did you hear what she said about Kota? An asset? Regrettable that he'd died? He was nothing more than a weapon to them." His anger burned hot. "I will not become a tool again. Not for them. Not for anyone."

His words grieved her. "To Mon Mothma, maybe he was, but not to Bail and not to Leia. If she will not grieve his loss than they will." She reached up to touch his face, drawing his eyes back to meet hers. "You are as free as anyone. No one can make you do something that you don't want to do."

He looked at her a long moment before he replied: "Except you."

She risked a faint smile and agreed. "Except me."

* * *

><p>The Imperial shuttle came out of hyperspace, the streaks of the stars becoming pinpoints in the dark; fireflies in ink.<p>

The Apprentice had sought solitude to ride out the rest of the journey, his pain-wracked body curled up in the confined space of a vent that would drop him down close to the bridge. He gave a ragged sigh as he felt the ship rapidly decelerating, signaling the end of the jump. Perhaps he'd feel better once he got away from the cramped, dark ship.

Down below, droids scanned for life forms; seeking his presence. None of them were programmed to look up. The rattle of their mechanisms grated and he ground his teeth in an attempt to hold back the next burst of pain.

_We've reached Corellia. They're all here; Bail and his allies. You have your Rebel Alliance. Now, what are you going to do with it?_

He shrank away from the voice. The voice of that woman who taunted him even now, even after he had cut her down back on Kamino. Why wouldn't she just take the hint and leave him the hell alone?

"Thirty minutes until docking. I repeat: thirty minutes until docking. All personnel: report to designated stations."

The announcement seemed to linger as he lifted his head, blinking through his haze of pain with some relief. He'd completely lost track of time and had absolutely no idea where he had ended up. But at least they had arrived. At least, in half an hour, he could start working through his ideas and perhaps seize upon an opportunity to regain his lost honor.

He crawled along the duct and peered down through the narrow gaps in the vent into the room below. The bridge was buzzing with life; an officer barking orders as his subordinates scuttled back and forth. In the viewport, a small brown-green moon studded the darkness of space.

The Apprentice still wasn't sure where they were, but it certainly wasn't Corellia.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 17th December (One week's time)**


	20. Visitor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: TFU.**

**Note: Just to let you know that two weeks from today is Saturday the 31st, which means that I unfortunately won't be around to update that day. This means the next update will be very slightly delayed (on the Tuesday instead). Apologies in advance for that. I wish you all a very happy holiday!**

**Thanks, as always, to my wonderful readers and reviewers - I've received some really sweet reviews this last week or so, and I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me. And of course, a huge thank you to Liisiko who has really helped me with some difficult draft chapters this week.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 20 - Visitor<strong>

**Location: Besbrillmir / Rogue Shadow**

* * *

><p>"Apologies for the intrusion, Admiral T'arrk, but I thought you'd like to know that the <em>Defiance<em> has docked in the landing field."

Admiral T'arrk looked up slowly, setting down his utensils with exaggerated care. He was by no means a handsome man and the predatory look in his eyes was enough to send even a brave warrior scuttling out of the room. Heavy brows knotted low over fierce eyes, peering at the 'intruder' over a prominent, hooked nose.

The lower ranking officer shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat to buy himself some time before he continued: "The ship that reported the disturbances on board, Sir."

"I remember well enough, Lieutenant. Colonel Jameson is already in place with his unit. You do not think this will suffice?"

"There have been further reports of—"

The admiral slammed a fist against the table, rattling the cutlery. "The colonel is in position. Do you doubt his abilities, Lieutenant?"

"N-no, Sir!"

"Then leave me to my dinner in peace." He watched the officer scuttle out of the door and gave a cruel smirk, impressed at himself for being able to so easily intimidate the other man. It was one of the great pleasures that came with rank.

He settled himself back against the plush chair and lifted his fork again, spearing a piece of meat. He wasn't sure why everyone was making such a fuss. Surely the stowaway was just some renegade from the station. Someone with a death wish. It wouldn't take long for him to be rooted out and disposed of. It never did, especially not when Colonel Jameson was in charge. The man was ruthless and thorough.

The Empire needed more men like Jameson.

The admiral had almost finished his meal before there was another tap on the door. He already knew it was the shaky lieutenant; being sent back and forth like a messenger because he'd not yet found the confidence that his new promotion should have given him.

"You are testing my patience, Mackenzie."

The door slid open with a rush of air and the nervous man entered again. The harsh light picked out sweat beading on his temples.

"Admiral, the intruder—he's a Sith."

"A Sith?" He lifted a skeptical brow.

"He's asking to speak with you."

T'arrk instantly bristled, his senses tickling with a warning. Something was not right. Not right at all. Why would a Sith sneak aboard an Imperial vessel? Why would they not be warned of his arrival? Lord Vader had mentioned nothing during their last report and it was not like the Dark Lord to overlook a detail like this. So then, why was this 'Sith' here? Surely Vader would not be trying to cancel the work going on at the facility? This operation had been kept low key for a reason. It was important.

But if this man was not a Sith, could he be a Jedi masquerading as one?

The very thought of that seemed ridiculous. Jedi were practically extinct and the likelihood of the Rebels finding out about the goings on of this little moon was an impossible notion.

"I will need to look into this matter. Have our 'guest' remain aboard the_ Defiance_ until I have verified his identity."

"Yes, Sir!" The man snapped a sharp salute and turned out of the room.

Admiral T'arrk reluctantly pulled himself to his feet and followed after him. The guards posted outside of his door moved to tail him but he paid them no heed. Unconsciously his pace quickened, his lengthy stride carrying him swiftly down to the communications suite. Oncoming workers hastily leapt out of his way as he went; clearly concerned that he'd just plough right through them.

To be fair, he probably would.

His guards, clad in heavy armor, sounded out of breath when they finally arrived and the admiral barked orders as a way of greeting. At least three of the personnel in the circular chamber flinched upon hearing him.

"Get me the _Executor_. Now."

He stood silently, arms crossed, fingers drumming impatiently against his elbow as he watched the displays shift and change on the walls. Some of the displays held images of beautiful and dramatic landscapes; to make up for the non-existent windows in the mostly underground facility. T'arrk had always found them more irritating than comforting.

"Can someone bring up the camera overlooking the landing field?" He snapped impatiently. One of the displays – containing an image of an awe-inspiring waterfall – shifted to a stretch of field peppered with an array of Imperial vessels. The sleek-nosed shape of the _Defiance_ was in clear view and, at its side, was a rather large gathering of soldiers. T'arrk narrowed his eyes to try and pick out any unfamiliar face amongst the crowd and was surprised to note that the so-called 'Sith' appeared to be barely more than a teenager.

"Connection established, Admiral."

He stepped forward to initiate the contact and the blue holographic image of the Dark Lord flared.

"Lord Vader." The man acknowledged.

"Make this quick, Admiral."

The admiral squared his shoulders and got straight to the point – as he always did. "I have just been informed that a Sith has landed here on Besbrillmir. Was this your doing or do I have a situation?"

Vader, with his mask covering his face, was a difficult man to read, but the slight hesitation in his response was as significant as if he'd widened his eyes in surprise.

"He is a Force-user." Came the stalled response. "But he is an enemy of the Empire."

"What would you have me do, Lord Vader?"

"He is an unpredictable and powerful man, Admiral. Are the containment cells still operational?"

"Of course."

"Good. They should be sufficient. Keep him contained until I can arrange transportation."

T'arrk gave a firm nod. "Very well, Lord Vader."

"And, if he causes you any trouble, you have my permission to test out those prototypes you have been overseeing. He would make an interesting test subject."

The admiral wasn't sure whether that remark comforted him or worried him. Was this 'boy' so strong that Vader believed the prototypes might be necessary? He noted on the display of the landing field, that the intruder was edging his way closer to the facility, the colonel hot on his heels. Sure, T'arrk had always known there was a risk to his health by working here, and many a man had already lost their lives on this project, but he hadn't even considered the possibility of a Force-user arriving to wipe them all out. It was one thing to suggest using the containment cells, but how exactly were they going to get this new arrival into one of them without alerting him to the trap?

He marched back down the corridor with the two guards at his side and pulled up short at the sound of raised, alarmed voices. Then, he altered his course and double-timed it in the direction of the sound and swung around into the 'welcome lounge' to find the colonel gesturing the Sith through.

"What is going on here?" The admiral barked, striding confidently across the room and going against his instincts that were telling him to make a hasty retreat. His eyes snapped to the lieutenant, who had paled at seeing his arrival. "I told you to keep our guest outside until his credentials had been verified."

"I did, Sir!" The man replied. "But the colonel…" He trailed helplessly, his eyes flicking across to an extremely confused looking Colonel Jameson.

"Never mind, I'll deal with you later." His sharp eyes snapped across to the boy. He seemed to be wounded, though how badly he couldn't be too sure. He was thin, of average height and had those awful, Sith eyes; fiery and animalistic. Up close, he looked haggard and older, but T'arrk guessed he was likely around twenty years old. "His credentials came through clear."

Drawing in a slow breath between his teeth, he stepped forwards to address the youngster; pushing away fear and hesitation. He had a reputation to uphold.

* * *

><p>The Apprentice had used the Force to sway the colonel into taking him into the facility. But now that he was inside, face to face with the man in charge, he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to be doing. He needed to determine where he was, what this place did and whether it would be of any use to him on his mission.<p>

Flagging from fatigue and pain, he did not even stop to think on what credentials the admiral could have found to see him able to walk freely into the facility.

He stepped forwards and the colonel reached up to halt him with a hand on his shoulder. Without thinking, the Apprentice reached back and broke the man's fingers. He came to regret the action a second later, however, when the man's yowl of pain sent waves of pain across his skull.

The admiral, who was moving forward to address him, paused and frowned. The Apprentice was strangely impressed to note that the man wasn't afraid – or, at least, didn't show his fear openly. He was braver than most.

"I'll ask you politely not to injure my officers." His voice was carefully tamed.

"My apologies, Admiral." There was a very slight sarcastic tone to the words.

"May I ask why you are here? And why you stowed away on one of our ships?"

"I am on a classified mission for Lord Vader." The Apprentice replied easily, noting the slight rising of the man's brows. He was good at hiding his fear, then, but not so good at hiding his surprise.

"I see. Your name and rank?"

This simple question brought about a momentary silence. After all, what was his name? He was certainly not as weak and easily swayed as the original apprentice; Starkiller. He was certainly not the pitiful child, Galen Marek. He was a clone, created to be perfect. Designed to bring order and carry out his Master's will. So what was his name? Could he even be considered an apprentice until he had completed his task and been accepted back?

"I am Lord Vader's apprentice." He announced at last, not knowing what else to say, and feeling strangely disturbed by it. "I bear no name."

"Then welcome to Besbrillmir. If you'd like to follow me?"

The Apprentice walked at T'arrk's side, eying the guards threateningly. "What do you do here at this facility?"

"We're the only moon of Fondor that is currently being used to test prototype droids; mainly for maintenance tasks and security. I'm here to check on progress being made and to pull the funding if it doesn't meet expectation. I'm pleased to announce that progress has more than met my expectations so far."

The Apprentice found himself struggling to listen to the admiral. His eyes darted about him, trying to memorize the routes, to look for ways out of rooms that might hold something of use. He heard the angry hiss of a welder working away behind one of the doors and smelled the heavy odor of engine oil. It was hard, however, to ascertain just how big the facility was. From the outside he had seen the large, domed entrance; smooth and shining like a beetle shell. He had picked out the small humps beneath the soil that could have signified rooms and the protruding shapes of antennas and satellites. The rest of the landscape had been flat fields, many of them scattered with crops. The moon had clearly been used for agriculture long before it had been used to build droids.

"I take it Besbrillmir was not your destination?"

"No." The Apprentice replied. "I was meant for Fondor."

"We can organize a shuttle to take you to Fondor with no problem."

The Apprentice shifted his gaze to meet that of the older man's. He sounded eager to get that shuttle moving and to get him away from this place. Was it because he was intimidated by a Sith or was there something to hide here? Whatever it was, there was something not quite right about the situation and it put him on edge.

"You sound awfully keen to be rid of me."

"If you are on a mission for Vader I do not want to be the one to hold you up. I am sure you know as well as I do what happens to those who fail him."

The Apprentice immediately felt himself go on the defensive. "And why would I know that?" He snarled. "I have not and_ will not_ fail him."

"Neither have I." The admiral replied swiftly. "But his wrath is infamous."

"Where are we going?" The Apprentice asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"You appear to be in need of medical assistance? We have a state-of-the-art medical bay here on the facility."

"No."

"No?"

"No." The clone affirmed. "My wounds are not serious enough to require medical attention." A lie, yes, but he was starting to feel uncomfortable. There was something going on that he wasn't aware of and his senses prickled with warning. His hand instinctively lifted to brush against one of his sabers.

"Very well. Then what do you say to stopping here for a moment? There's a project being developed in these rooms that might interest you. I know Vader has taken an interest in this particular piece of work and as his apprentice, you may like to see it first hand for when you report back."

The Sith narrowed his eyes.

"I'll take your silence as a yes." T'arrk swept into the room and the Apprentice followed, the guards pressing close. The Apprentice couldn't help but wonder if they realized who they were trying to push around.

"Bear with me one moment." The admiral continued, pausing opposite one of the desks.

The room was long and narrow, the far side lined with workstations. The room was busy, with ten scientists at work. One of them was bent over his desk, a pair of magnifying goggles strapped over his eyes as he tinkered with a tiny contraption. The admiral was talking to another one of the workers and he slipped closer in an attempt to overhear.

The worker, dressed in a white lab coat, looked suddenly startled and then the admiral, punching a key code into the panel on the side of the desk, unlocked the compartment beneath it.

T'arrk reached a hand inside the drawer and lifted something up carefully into his palm before turning around. The scientist hovered nearby, his eyes on the small, squat shape settled on the admiral's palm. It was like a tiny, mechanical insect with a bulbous body containing a murky liquid.

The Apprentice shifted uncomfortably, his fingers closing over the hilt of his saber, brushing his thumb over the activator switch.

T'arrk, with a slight twitch of a smile, touched the miniature droid and held it up higher still. A small light indicated its activation and, without warning, it sprang forwards. The clone's saber came up to cut it mid-leap, but the little insect seemed to have predicted this. It attached itself to his forearm, legs locking itself into place. Almost simultaneously, a sharp prick of pain drove through his arm and he reached across with his free hand to wrench it off. It came away with surprising ease and went flying across the room.

Then he went on the offence, pivoting into his next move, cutting the first guard clean in half. The second guard hastened back out of the room as the Sith raised a hand and sent a blast of Force power after him.

Satisfied that he now had a clean escape route, he turned on his heel again to face the admiral; evil intent glaring in his inhuman eyes.

And then, without warning, he staggered and pitched forwards onto his knees. Shocked at his own uncooperative limbs, he immediately tried to stand again, pushing himself up so as to finish the advance he had started. But his legs refused to obey him and he dropped again, disorientated and confused. The world spun and he thought of the murky liquid in the body of that droid and the prick of pain; reminiscent of a needle.

A burst of anger spurred him on and, and desperate to regain control he lashed out with a blast of Sith Lightning to make up for the lack of use in his legs.

The devastating energy smashed into the wall – missing its mark – and then fizzled out as another wave of weakness overcame him. He pressed a palm against the floor to steady himself.

He was aware of movement behind him and forced himself back to his feet, lurching to defend himself. His fingers trembled so violently that they struggled to maintain a grip on the saber and, as he swung out, it slipped from his grasp. Too muddle-headed to think straight, he stooped to retrieve it and his sense of balance seemed to give out entirely.

Suddenly the floor was there; cold and unkind against the side of his face, and the world faded into darkness.

Distantly, the admiral's voice ordered: "Have the guards carry him down to the containment cells. Vader wishes him to be transported back in one piece."

* * *

><p>"You're not planning to make a scene during the meeting with the Senators, are you, Master?" PROXY inquired lightly.<p>

"That depends on how cooperative they're going to be."

"And if they're not?"

"You can't get something for nothing. If they think they can manipulate me into doing whatever they want then they're going to be extremely disappointed."

"I don't think you can compare the Senators with Vader, Master."

"Why not?" He shifted in his chair; agitated. "They can't rule me with fear, like Vader did, but they can still manipulate in other ways. I'm nothing more than an asset to them, just like I was to him. If they lose me, they won't mourn the man. They'll mourn the loss of a weapon – just like they did with Kota."

"It might not go as badly as you expect."

"I already know how it's going to go."

PROXY's photoreceptors seemed to dim a little. "I do not understand the way your species thinks, Master, but complicated situations sometimes do seem to turn out to have a surprisingly simple response."

No reply that time, though Galen's fingers tugged irritably at a loose thread on the arm of his chair.

"Captain Eclipse has dealt with them before. Perhaps she can reason with them?"

"She shouldn't have to reason with them. They should see how important this is and offer their support." He stood. "Without me – without the original Starkiller – they wouldn't even have a rebellion to lead." But maybe that was it. He wasn't the Starkiller who had started the rebellion. He was just some copy. They might have owed his original, but him? Did they owe him anything?

No. They clearly didn't.

"You might find, Master, that you do not need to search for him at all. It's in his programming to kill you. He won't hide forever."

He sighed. "That's what I'm worried about."

"We're due to arrive in Corellia airspace in approximately thirty minutes, Master. Would you like me to wake Juno?"

"No. Watch the ship. I'll go get her."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 3rd January (Tuesday)**

**See you all again in the new year! Happy Holidays!**


	21. Trust

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Hope you all had a great holiday and wonderful New Year celebrations. Scary how fast the time goes! A big thank you goes out to all of my wonderful reviewers, readers and subscribers. And, as always, a big thank you to Liisiko who puts so much time and effort into helping me make this story the best it can be. Also, as a sort of heads up, this story has become a lot longer than I had initially planned. I set out to write about 20 chapters and ended up writing quite a bit more than that. As an estimate, I would guess this fic to last about 40 chapters, give or take. It's perhaps longer than I would have liked but I couldn't seem to plan it any shorter without cutting out vast amounts of detail.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 21 - Trust<strong>

**Location: Besbrillmir / The _Armistice_**

* * *

><p>The Apprentice woke to the sound of persistent buzzing and half expected that he'd open his eyes to find himself in the ruins of the XF-32 again.<p>

He was lying on the ground, his body stiff with terrible, _terrible_ pain and – when he dared to open an eye – his vision swam horrendously. The strength in his limbs had all but dissipated and when he tried to move, it caused so much hurt that after a moment he gave up and lay still. Unfortunately the pain didn't ebb as much as he had hoped.

Apparently he had also cried out in pain because suddenly someone was calling to him.

"Oi! You there, boy. You alive?"

The clone made no attempt at a response but apparently the stranger was convinced of his health enough to declare it to…well, he wasn't sure who to. Another in close proximity, anyway.

"Told you he was alive, didn't I? Bah. When we get out of here, you owe me two hundred credits. I'm going to write it here so I don't forget, see?"

Someone else responded to that irritating voice in a low, guttural dialect that the clone didn't understand. And then an awful scratching sound grated the sensitive bones in his ears and he tried to draw his arms up to cover his head. This time his limbs acquiesced, though not without some degree of pain and the sound muffled into the background.

It was a good half an hour before he dared to open his eyes again, peering past the dark line of his shielding arm to see a shimmering curtain of blue light. Then, carefully, he lifted his arm away and blinked slowly in an attempt to bring his world back into focus.

"Welcome back!" The irritating voice from before interrupted.

He let lose a frustrated burst of anger: "Just shut up before I _make_ you."

A laugh, somewhat hysterical, replied: "I'd like to see you try."

With a roar of anger, the clone put all his energy into pushing himself up off of the floor. The world lurched sickeningly and his body protested, but after a few agonizing moments he managed to prop himself up adequately enough. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

"Over here!"

Through the bleary fog still shrouding his thoughts he saw a waving motion beyond that blue curtain. Something pale and humanoid in appearance.

Pushing up from the floor he staggered on his feet and almost ended right back where he started.

"Careful! Don't touch that blue light. You're in a Force cage."

The clone's eyes snapped up.

"Electrical burns, you know? Nasty, painful things, and they won't give you any bacta down here. Not to their slaves."

"SHUT UP!"

"Okay, okay. Someone's touchy. Guess I'll just go back to talking to Nawaraac, hm?"

A low, mournful sound echoed from further away.

"Don't be like that. You know I don't—"

"—I am not a slave." The Apprentice growled, sinking back to his knees and closing his eyes to shut out the room, which was still spinning around him. He felt so weak. So angry. So…pathetic. He felt so drained that it was an effort even to lift his head. He allowed it to hang low; face buried in the palms of his hands.

"Prisoner, then. Whoever you are, you're important enough to keep alive."

A fragment of a memory came back to haunt him: 'Vader wishes him to be transported back in one piece.' And he recoiled in on himself, fearing that very possibility. He could not return to Vader without completing his mission. To do so would be to go to his death and he couldn't die. Not yet. Not before that other clone had met his end.

"Hm, you bled all over your cell, boy."

"Don't call me that." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh, okay, what should I call you then?"

Silence.

"A name? You have a name?"

The clone thought of the injustice of his situation and the anger gripped him fiercely. He was Vader's apprentice. He was powerful and strong. He had cast aside his lesser emotions and those distracting memories for something far greater. Yet, here he was, trapped and weak whilst the inferior one walked free. This was not how it should be.

"Hello?" The other prisoner called out, not knowing when to give up.

His eyes flared open. "I am… I am superior."

"Superior? That's not a name."

But he was not talking to the stranger. "I am superior. I _am_ superior! They think they can trap me here in a cage like some pathetic animal? I'll show them. They'll all be dead and they'll die slow and painful. Then we'll see who's weak." His eyes snapped in the direction of the voice and he was surprised to see how much his head had cleared. Anger was good. Anger made him stronger. "And you will join them. Perhaps you'll even thank me for ending this pitiful life you lead."

The alien, Nawaraac, bellowed mournfully and he realized, then, that it was the brutish voice of a Wookiee.

"Even the beast welcomes death."

"That's not what he said!" The voice responded, somewhat angrily. "A life is better than no life, no matter how one lives it."

"Filthy animals like you wouldn't know any better."

"Filthy animals?" The man got to his feet and the clone narrowed his eyes in an attempt to focus in on him. "I'm a scientist! A Cerean! I possess an intelligence you could never hope to wield."

"We'll see how good intelligence is at defending you when my blade cuts your throat."

That silenced him.

Smirking, he turned away from the Cerean scientist and stalked back to the very edge of his prison, attempting to gain his bearings. The room was large, containing around twenty cages of variable size. Some – such as the one that housed the scientist – were only big enough to sit or stand in. Others – like the one he was in – were meant for more than one prisoner. In the cell that housed Nawaraac, he could see the dark shapes of others. Many others; all crammed together.

On the far side was a vivid, angry red light that indicated the entrance door was locked. There seemed to be only one way in and out of the room.

Suddenly, there was a loud, intermittent blip and the Wookiees in their cell stirred fearfully. The red light above that door turned green and it snapped open abruptly to allow a small troupe of stormtroopers and their commander to march inside. Walking with them were more haggard looking prisoners, shackled and weary. Most of them were Wookiees, though there were some other races amongst their number.

The commander, dressed in his pristine uniform, ordered the returning workforce back into their cells and locked them away with no trouble at all.

The Sith sneered in disgust at their lack of fight. Did they have no pride or self-respect? If they were willing to submit so easily than they deserved all that they got.

And then the troupe moved onwards, passing close to the Sith's cell. He sneered at them as they passed and took delight in the way the commander struggled to keep his eyes ahead.

"You think if you ignore me everything will be alright? Put me in a cage and hope I'll submit like all of those animals?"

The commander drew to a halt outside of Nawaraac's cell and ordered the cage to be powered down.

"I will not be ignored."

The force shield of the Wookiee cell disappeared and the stormtroopers hustled around the aliens, shepherding them up onto their feet. Some gave mournful cries, but any that put up resistance were met with cruelty until they trudged, one by one, back towards the door.

"Weak-minded fools." The Sith hissed. "You should run before I escape. If you're here when I do, you'll be slaughtered along with the rest."

The commander paused by his cell and peered in at him. "You are in no position to make threats. You are our prisoner and there is no escape." Then, with a cruel smile of his own, he raised a hand and pressed a small switch on the cell's suspended panel.

The Apprentice's body erupted with pain as an electrical surge swept through him.

* * *

><p>It felt like a lifetime ago since they had last been on the docking bay of the <em>Armistice<em> and not the few days it had been in reality. This time the arrival brought a sense of emptiness and the pain of remembering that Kota was no longer with them.

Juno's legs felt oddly shaky as she left the _Rogue Shadow_ behind her, PROXY leading the way with Galen trailing behind. She looked back to check on him. The only sign of his nervousness and reluctance was the speed of his step. Otherwise his dark eyes looked confident; his head was up, his shoulders squared. She paused to let him draw parallel with her and then they continued on together in silence.

Juno, at least, felt somewhat refreshed; dressed in a clean uniform, her hair tied neatly back in its ponytail, a fan of gold falling down across an eye.

They were greeted by an equally well-dressed woman with mousey-colored hair cut into a neat bob. She eyed them sternly for a moment before stepping aside and gesturing for them to follow her. Her walk was surprisingly brisk.

"I'm Lieutenant Hayes."

Juno recognized the voice for the woman she had spoken to previously when trying to contact Viedas. The unhelpful woman who refused to break even the tiniest of protocols to speed things along.

Juno opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off again.

"I already know who you are. Follow me, please. The senators are scheduled to arrive within the next three standard hours. I've been given orders to show you to the waiting lounge."

Juno and Galen shared a skeptical look.

"It's not too far."

"Are we able to speak with the—"

"—Unfortunately." Lieutenant Hayes interrupted swiftly, much like an affronted teacher. "The Commodore is not able to see you at this time. Any questions you have are to be directed to me, though I cannot promise you I will answer them."

Juno drew herself up. "May I remind you of your rank, Lieutenant?"

"There is no need, Captain. I am well aware of my position within the Alliance. Just as I am aware of rules and regulations." She jibed.

"And how many battles do you think the Rebels have won, so far, where a rule has not been broken, Lieutenant?" Juno replied and though she'd meant it to be rhetorical, the woman saw fit to respond anyway.

"I do not deny the fact that rules have been broken before and will continue to be broken, Captain. However, it does not make the matter any less serious for being one of many."

"I think you've made your view clear, Hayes." Galen interrupted firmly; a hand closing over Juno's shoulder. "Now, remember your place."

The woman gave him a haughty look and strode ahead.

PROXY, dropping back, lifted a hand to shield his 'mouth' and said quietly: "Would you like me to file a report, Master?"

His attempt at helping managed to briefly bring smiles to their faces as Galen, a moment later, declined the generous offer.

* * *

><p>"You have a death wish, eh, Superior?"<p>

The dark clone laughed despite the pain. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"You know, I'm certain that the Jedi were never as bloodthirsty as all that."

"Jedi?" The dark clone pushed himself up onto his knees despite it being an agonizing action. "Don't mistake me for those pathetic creatures. They are dead. Forgotten. The Sith have destroyed them. Now, the future belongs to us. Our actions will remain strong in the memories of all."

"Unless you kill everyone you come across. If all those you meet die, there will be no one left to remember."

The clone seethed, hissing angrily between gritted teeth.

"But if you are a Sith, why are you here?" The Cerean continued. "A failure, are you?"

The apprentice would have struck out at him if he could. The anger growing within him refused to be contained. He slammed his fist against the floor and imagined it was the scientist's face caving beneath his knuckles. The pain sharpened his wit enough for him to regain control.

"You, Cerean, are not very smart for a scientist." His voice was low and dark. "Angering me is the last mistake you'll ever make."

"You aren't getting out of that cell."

"Yes I am. And you: you're going to help me."

The imprisoned scientist gave a bark of wild laughter. "How did you come to that conclusion? I may be a prisoner but I'm not suicidal. I have something to live for you know." A sigh. "My family. If I show any resistance they'll—"

But the dark clone was no longer listening. He was staring at the blood against the broken floor, tilting his hand so he could see the damage to his closed fist. He was not in a good shape but that, in a way, was a sign of his strength. A lesser being would have died long ago and yet here he was, still very much alive. Hot rage flowing through his veins.

Possibilities of escape began to flow through his head, flickering across his mind as he sought the best path. The manic chaos, surprisingly, brought forth snippets of ideas and he quickly began to lock them together. Droids. Scientist. Anarchy.

The corners of his mouth curled into an unpleasant smile and, slowly, he lifted his head to focus on the pale-skinned scientist.

"You are going to help undo this...this dishonor." He sat back more comfortably now, crossing his legs. "And I will set your family free."

* * *

><p>Galen paced the lounge like a caged kath hound; growing more and more agitated with every passing moment. Juno, on the other hand, had settled next to a small viewport, staring out into empty, cold darkness. She looked calm on the outside, but her head was spinning with turmoil. She wished she could say that the meeting would go smoothly, but deep down she knew that it would be a wasted wish. Try as she might, she could not make herself believe that this would go well for them.<p>

"How long now, PROXY?"

"Fifteen minutes since you last asked me, Captain."

She sighed.

"This is ridiculous." Galen snapped, drawing to a sudden halt. "For all we know, they're already here and they're just letting us stew."

She wanted to disagree with him. She really did. But what if he was right? What if they had already come to a decision and refused to be swayed?

"Forget this. I'm not waiting around for—"

He had been heading for the door when it had suddenly swished open, Lieutenant Hayes standing there, stern and proper. Her accusing gaze went, first, to Galen though it was quickly redirected at Juno. Apparently she wasn't brave enough to start picking fights with the loose-cannon Force-user – not yet, anyway.

"The senators are ready to see you now." She paused, glancing distrustfully at the gangly droid standing by the door, his yellow photoreceptors watching her carefully.

"About time." Galen muttered audibly.

"They have also requested that your droid is in attendance."

Which meant that one of the senators had not been able to come in person. Maybe Garm, who had been involved in the evacuation of Dantooine. Either way, they knew better than to ask, knowing that the woman would refuse to answer. Instead, they followed in silence, side by side.

Juno's fingertips brushed briefly against the back of Galen's hand as they went. It was a subtle touch but even that brief contact seemed to help ease the painful hammering of her heart.

"Wait here." Hayes drew to a halt by a large doorway and activated her com-link device. "Captain Eclipse is here to see you now, Senators."

"Send them through." The voice was that of Mon Mothma.

On an Imperial ship, the conference rooms would have been given a touch of luxury to represent the rank of those who met within its walls. Here on a Rebel ship, however, there were neither the funds nor the time to think on such details. The room was unwelcoming, cold and bare of everything except the essentials; namely a large, oval table surrounded by high-backed chairs.

Sitting in two of those chairs were Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis.

Juno felt strangely relieved that Bail and Leia were missing. Since her last conversation with the young senator-in-the-making she'd been more than a little apprehensive about facing her again so soon after its occurrence.

Mon Mothma stood as they entered looking the same as always; elegant and stern, dressed in white. At her side, Garm was slow to stand, though Juno guessed it was due to hesitancy rather than any injury. His eyes were fixed on Galen – who stood just behind her – and she noticed the senator's knuckles pale as his hands clenched into fists.

She felt her hope begin to shrivel.

"Thank you for coming." Mon Mothma greeted. "Senator Organa, unfortunately, cannot attend in person but we are hoping PROXY can stand in for her. Duty has called her away unexpectedly."

"Her?"

"Yes. Bail Organa has retired as Senator of Alderaan and officially handed that title over to his daughter."

Juno wasn't sure how to respond, so she chose to remain silent, realizing that this had probably been the case for a while – perhaps shortly before they had come to speak on Kamino. And hadn't Mon Mothma called her Senator Leia Organa in their previous meeting? She cursed herself for not paying more attention.

"PROXY? If you please?"

"Of course, Senator." The droid responded as the advanced hologram technology shifted his form to that of Leia Organa; the very same image he had projected on Kamino.

"Patch Senator Organa through and let us begin." Mon Mothma seated herself again. "This has gone on long enough already. Take a seat, please."

Juno and Galen did so and Leia-PROXY moved around to sit beside Garm. No sooner had he done so, than Leia's voice came through; crisp and sharp.

"My apologies that I cannot be there with you in person today." And she did sound sorry. "I can also appreciate that this is a difficult time for the both of you with everything that has happened. Unfortunately this is a situation that cannot be put on hold. Time, currently, is of the essence."

Mon Mothma nodded gravely. "Indeed. What happened on Selonia is of great concern to us all."

Garm's hand came up to silence any rebuke either Juno or Galen may have made. "I can understand your reasoning for doing what you did. I saw, first hand, the destruction this dark clone wrought upon the Rebel base. He is a dangerous enemy."

"Too dangerous." Mon Mothma added gravely. "To go chasing after him alone without reinforcements."

Galen gritted his teeth and Juno stepped in to pick up the thread before he could get a word in: "Our failure was purely circumstantial. We could not have predicted the events that occurred after the confrontation."

"But you should have, Captain. You were all aware that you were walking into a trap when you disregarded orders to return to Dantooine. You could not have known what to expect and that should have been enough to convince you that it was a mistake."

"So you would have had us ignore this threat?" Galen replied, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"The immediate threat had passed." Mon Mothma was hasty to point out. "Vader's new apprentice could have done us no harm if we had refused to fall into their trap."

"And then what? He'd have just given up? It gave us a strategic advantage to make that move and you know it."

"I would not have had you down as a renowned strategist."

The remark had Galen back on his feet, hands planted against the table as if he meant to crush it, his teeth gritted in a poor attempt to keep his outrage at bay. Leia-PROXY, too, immediately jumped up, gesturing for calm. "Please, everyone, we need to look forward, not back. What is done is done and there was sense in both paths, of that we can all agree. What we need to focus on now is how we can move forward together for the benefit of the Alliance. I would ask you not to forget why we're here and to put our differences aside."

Garm was staring almost warily at Galen as Juno reached up, hooking her fingers through one of the loops on his belt. The connection stilled his anger but she could see it brewing; waiting on a chance to lash out again.

"_Can_ we move forward from all that has happened?" Garm asked seriously.

Mon Mothma fixed her eyes on Juno. "You, Captain, have a track record of going against our wishes and though I do not doubt you do so with the best of intentions, the issue still remains. Our differences will clash again and when they do, what choice will you make?"

"The right one."

The woman's eyebrows lifted. "And yet two of those choices in the past have proved that your perceived 'best choice' is sometimes not the right choice. They put many lives at risk."

Juno thought bitterly of all the times she'd helped Kota on his missions. All the times the senators would never know about because they had succeeded without a hitch.

"A battle cannot be won without risk." Galen replied, still seething, refusing to sit again. "This is war. People die."

"But it is better they die to aid the cause." Mothma argued.

"What are you saying? That Kota died for _nothing_?"

Juno startled at the unbridled anger in Galen's tone.

"Kota died for what he believed in." Leia-PROXY intervened promptly. "That is far from nothing."

"He saved innocent LIVES!" Galen insisted.

"Lives that were put at risk by _your_ actions." Mon Mothma pointed out.

"Your inaction has put more lives at risk than us going to Selonia ever did! Kota gave _everything_ for your cause! Does that not matter to you at all?"

Juno, afraid at how quickly this meeting was falling apart, tried to grab at his arm. But he would not be calmed and he knocked her hand away; his furious eyes holding fast onto Mon Mothma's.

"You will not win this war if you refuse to see reason." Is this what his original had given his life for? Had it really been worth it in the end?

"Were your reasons for going after Vader's new apprentice really as selfless as you make them out to be? We cannot forget that you were created in the very same fashion." Mon Mothma challenged.

Juno felt a spike of anger drive through her chest at that. Were they purposely testing him? Seeing how far they could push him before his anger overwhelmed his self-control? Were they looking for an excuse to end their alliance? She snapped to her feet to defend him. "How can we work together now? There's no trust left between us. You've made your judgment already."

"Trust can be regained. It can be earned." Garm replied. "You can earn it back. We must listen to our peers and accept that not everything can play out in the manner that we want. The Senators have always had conflicted ideals but we still manage to work together. There is no reason that we cannot."

"Does this mean that we are to remain allies?" Juno wasn't sure whether she wanted to earn that trust. Wasn't sure if that's what any of them wanted.

"Whatever you believe, we do want this to work. Whether it does or not, is up to you." Mon Mothma replied seriously.

"So you'll put all the responsibility on us so that you can deny any wrongdoing if something else doesn't go the way you wanted it to?" Galen was clearly unable to settle now that he was fired up.

"Enough!" Garm ordered with surprising vehemence.

"Starkiller, if you are not going to calm down and take a seat we will have to delay this meeting until you comply." Mon Mothma warned.

Galen fell silent but he did not sit and Juno was almost certain she had seen a blue flicker of Force Lightning crackling at his fingertips.

Mon Mothma continued firmly. "There will be terms for this alliance between us. Terms that we must all agree to."

"What sort of terms?" Juno asked, feeling nervous again.

"I will read the terms of our agreement to you now." Mon Mothma replied; leaning forwards to steeple her fingers against the table. "You are welcome and encouraged to give your views and recommendations. However, if – following further investigation – we decide to decline them, we expect you to accept that decision. We cannot have anymore sedition from either of you, or others may begin to question our authority. If we discover you have been carrying out covert missions without our consent, there will be no more chances. Is that clear?"

Silence.

"Is that clear?"

"Clear." Juno replied begrudgingly. Galen, remained deathly silent, too angry to trust himself to word his response. Thankfully they did not press him for an answer.

"Secondly, Captain Eclipse, you agree to remain as pilot and captain of the_ Rogue Shadow_." A demotion then, but not worded as such. No crew to be responsible of, other than Galen, of course. She was strangely relieved to hear that. Her time on the _Salvation_ had not been a particularly happy one.

"Understood."

"And this lead you spoke of before. You will not pursue it."

Juno could almost feel Galen's rage coming off of him in waves, threatening to erupt.

"I would like it noted that I believe that to be a mistake." Juno responded quickly, her eyes darting nervously across to him.

Mon Mothma nodded. "Of course."

And then Galen reacted: "You all seem to forget what happened on Dantooine." His dark eyes were fixed on Garm. "He is too dangerous to be allowed to walk free. There is no telling what he might target next, but whatever that next move is; it will not be good news for anyone." And with barely a pause for breath, he continued. "I will not 'comply' with this and you can delay this meeting for as long as you want; it won't make any difference. Before this is done, you will be pleading with me to deal with him, because whatever he has planned, it won't be good. And like it or not, I'm the only one who stands a chance against him. There is no one else." He turned to leave.

"Starkiller. Wait!" Juno's protest stumbled over the use of his old codename, but it would not have made any difference. He was gone and perhaps it was better that he had. He was in no mood to listen. Maybe he never would be.

Even still, as the door shut behind him and she was left alone to face the music, she couldn't help but feel a horrible sense of helplessness and fear. Hesitantly she turned back to face the senators and dropped into her seat; exhausted.

"Juno." It was Leia-PROXY who spoke first. "Can you see why we have concerns about him? We want this to work but this alliance...it could do more harm than good."

"That anger could drive him back to the path that the original Starkiller once walked." Garm stated. "If that were to happen..."

"No." Juno's reaction was instinctive. "He would never!"

"Can you honestly say that?" Leia-PROXY pressed.

"Yes. Yes, I can. He just needs time to adjust to everything that has happened. He's grieving, perhaps for the first time in his life. This is too much too soon. You can't judge him as he currently is. Give me a chance to talk to him once he has calmed down. He...may see things clearer then."

"You are that confident in your influence?"

"Yes, but you need to understand something, too. He blames himself for what happened on Selonia - the clone's escape, Kota's death - and everything in him is screaming that he should rectify it. He won't be able to find peace with himself until he does. He's feeling helpless and vulnerable right now and all he sees is opposing forces, trying to stop him from what his heart is telling him is right."

"Your relationship with him puts you in a difficult position, Captain." Garm pointed out.

"Yes. There is an obvious conflict of interest." Mon Mothma replied with waning patience. "You need to think carefully about this, Juno. If you accept responsibility over him - and you are perhaps the only one who can - is this a burden you can carry alone?"

Juno paused only a moment before giving her answer: "Yes. But I won't give you false hope. I'm not even sure I can sway him if there are no steps taken to locate the dark clone."

"And what I said before was misunderstood. I said that you would not be able to pursue the lead. This matter will not be put to the back of our minds but neither can it be a priority." Senator Mothma continued, glancing at her colleagues to seek their agreement. "Without any real viable intel, there is no telling what we might find at the end of this lead. Another trap, perhaps. The clone may not even have reached its destination."

"We would be interested in hearing any information you have on this apprentice, however." Leia-PROXY added. "Powers. Motives. Any small piece of information you have might prove vital in this instance."

"I will record it all in the report." Juno replied wearily. "But you do understand what it may mean if we do not go after him now?"

"We understand that this isn't the answer you wanted to hear, but we will do all that we can." Leia-PROXY continued regretfully. "After seeing how angry Starkiller is, we're hesitant to allow him anywhere close to this dark apprentice without assurance that Vader isn't there, too. If he faces the Dark Lord again, there is no Kota to stop him from falling this time. With all the strength you have, it may not be enough to keep him from turning to the dark side if another encounter were to occur."

Juno didn't even want to think about the possibility of Galen returning to that life and the horror of it must have shown - just briefly - on her face because the senators regarded her with much more gentle expressions.

"I believe that this hunt for the clone is more to do with personal vengeance than in supporting the Rebel effort." Mon Mothma replied after a moment.

"A bit of both, I think." Leia-PROXY interrupted carefully. "But nevertheless, we cannot risk fleets and armies against this foe. Not at this critical time and not without enough solid, supporting evidence. There is much going on in the background that you are not aware of, Captain. It may look like we are not making much progress on the surface, but every day we gain ground, even if it is only a little."

"All I ask is that you look into the lead." Juno insisted.

"I do not think it wise to ignore him completely." Garm agreed after a moment's thought. "The clone will return when Vader wishes it. That is inevitable."

"We have agreed to your terms. All we ask is that you don't ignore the threat he poses." Juno urged. "If you discover any information about the apprentice we need to know about it."

"So you can break our agreement at the first given moment?" Mon Mothma argued. "I am not happy to rush into a decision like this." Mon Mothma voiced, ever cautious.

"Get your report sent through to us, Captain, and we will see what we can do." Leia-PROXY assured.

"Is that agreeable?" Mon Mothma intervened.

"It is. We will agree to your terms so long as you do not ignore the threat that Vader's apprentice poses. I will speak with Starkiller and explain to him the situation as soon as he is ready to listen."

"Very well. Arrangements have been made for you to travel to Corellia along with the _Armistice_ to organize repairs for your ship. We expect your report to be in before your next assignment."

"Assignment?" Juno asked.

"That's correct. If the terms are agreed and Starkiller agrees to work with us, we have much work that needs to be done. As Leia said, the Rebels do not rest."

"We will let you know of our decision about Vader's apprentice before your assignment." Leia-PROXY continued.

Juno gave a stern nod and took a small step backwards.

Garm stood, his face concerned. "Be careful with that one, Juno."

"Yes. You would be wise to keep a close eye on him." Mothma added. "You may think you know him, but he is not the same man as the one who sacrificed himself for our cause."

Juno felt the instinct to defend him kick in with surprising strength and her eyes snapped across to Leia-PROXY's emotionless face. Thankfully, the young senator was silent and her face - of course - betrayed nothing of what she was thinking. But their words cut deep all the same.

"It's not him you need to be worried about." Juno warned quietly. "I'll have the report sent to you shortly." And then she was gone, suddenly wanting to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Can we really trust him?" Garm asked wearily, rubbing at his temples.

"Juno does." Leia-PROXY continued, seating herself again.

"Her opinion is marred by her emotions." Mothma reminded. "She cannot be trusted to give an unbiased view of his character."

"Is he so different from Kota? He pushed us to act when we had wanted to be cautious. He was defiant and brash and rebellious. Can we blame Starkiller for his actions when he has been mentored by a man such as that?" Leia-PROXY reminded.

"But he's not _that_ Starkiller. He's a clone created by Vader to destroy everything that the original died to create." Mothma pointed out. "He was not created to serve the Alliance. He was created to destroy it. There is much we do not know about him."

"But we know of the destruction his counterpart wrought on Dantooine." Garm continued dolefully. "We cannot risk him turning on us. If he falls back to the dark side…"

"But neither can we have him intimidating us into making the decisions he wants. You saw his reaction when we denied him." Mon Mothma argued. "Powerful or not, he can only prove useful if he is cooperative and willing to work with us. I am not convinced he has the best interests of the galaxy in mind. If we find information on this dark clone, can we really expect Starkiller to just ignore it and continue in aiding us?" She didn't wait for an answer. "He will not. He will drop everything to go after this enemy; to snuff out the evidence that he, himself, is a clone. To destroy the Sith that stands as living proof of the darkness within him."

"But the dark clone will come for him." Leia-PROXY pointed out. "Whether we give Starkiller information or not."

Mon Mothma nodded. "It is the timing of this information that we must handle carefully. If we find anything - and we may not - to hand it over too soon could be disastrous, not without knowing his state of mind."

"So we're agreeing to follow up on the lead Captain Eclipse found?" Garm asked.

"Let's wait to see what it says in the report. If we have some spies available and on location, I think it would be wise to keep track of him." Leia-PROXY responded, seeking Mon Mothma's approval.

The elder woman gave a stiff nod. "Agreed."

"Before we conclude, may I request that I handle the report with Juno?" Leia-PROXY asked.

"What of your mission?"

"I think this should be prioritized. I'd like to find out all the details about these clones and their whereabouts."

"Leia probably does have the best chance at getting that information from them." Garm added.

"Very well." Mothma agreed. "Can we call this meeting to a close, then?"

"I think so."

"We'll contact you again when the report comes through, Leia."

"Thank you."

And as the image of the young senator fizzled out, replaced by the gangly droid, Mon Mothma gave a weary sigh and pushed herself up to her feet. "There are difficult times ahead."

Garm gave her a wry smile. "It never was going to be easy."

Nothing ever was.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 14th January**


	22. Interruptions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**UPDATE 16/06 - mature scene edited.**

**As always, thanks to my lovely reviewers and readers and for Liisiko's awesome beta skills.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 22 - Interruptions<strong>

**Location: The Armistice / Besbrillmir**

* * *

><p>Juno made a half-hearted attempt at searching for Galen before giving up; not sure whether she actually wanted to find him before he had had the chance to calm down. He had been so angry and hurt and even though his outburst could not be condoned, it was certainly understandable given the circumstances. She just hoped that the senators were able to look past that anger and see the good man behind that veil – the man she could see.<p>

And, as much as it pained her to think it, he would probably be angry with her too. Agreeing to those terms and signing them up for service was nothing less than a betrayal. She could not feel worse if she tried and she wasn't even sure if she could talk him around.

Not even sure if she wanted to.

She stared at the report on her datapad - barely even started - and felt her eyes burn. She was utterly helpless; her whole world spiraling out of control.

She knew what she needed. She needed a friend. Someone who understood how she felt and what she was going through. Someone was was sturdy and less emotionally fragile than Galen was at that moment. But she didn't have anyone like that and the sense of despair was further heightened by the disapproving looks being sent her way by Lieutenant Hayes working across from her.

Raking her hands through her hair and pulling it loose from its band, she forced her eyes back down onto her workstation to resume her report. She had only gotten as far as describing the damage done to the old starport above Selonia, which was to say that she had gotten nowhere. She hesitated again, fingers poised and ready but her head struggling to put into words the events that had led to so much failure.

However she looked at it and whichever way she wrote it, they were going to look bad. She needed to at least try to paint it in a light that would have the Senators consider their demand in seeking out the dark clone as the right move. But that was harder said than done.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she began to type again – with an almost frantic motion – trying not to think too much about what she was putting down. If she could get a rough draft done in the next hour she'd have plenty of time to get it edited for the senators to view.

So…why had she stopped again?

She muffled a sigh of frustration into her hands and pushed her chair back away from her desk, as if the space might help clear her head.

It didn't.

"Are you going to be here for much longer?" Hayes asked unhelpfully from across the room.

Juno's angry gaze shifted from the console to the lieutenant. "I'd be finished quicker if you stopped interrupting." She hoped the woman would take it as a not-so-subtle hint to shut up and leave her alone. Then she was typing again, filling the silence with a steady click-click.

After that there were no more pauses and her eyes watched the report as it rattled across the screen, laying out each and every event that she had detail on and leaving gaps where intel was missing. She didn't think that Galen would be willing to fill in those gaps and everyone else was dead. She shoved that thought away and considered the next conundrum. How much should she say about the position of Vader's apprentice? For instance, did the senators really want to know that the clone was more than likely not Vader's apprentice anymore? That due to his failure, he was probably acting on his own authority? She couldn't say this for certain, of course, but Galen seemed to think so and he would know better than anyone. Would that detail spur the Rebel leaders into action or would it make them more reluctant to act? And, if it was only speculation, perhaps it was better to not put it in at all. But wasn't it a potentially vital piece of information if it turned out to be true?

She hesitated, staring at the display as if it might present the answer to her. Then, still feeling unsure, she inputted the speculation and marked it as such. Ultimately, leaving out information that might come back to bite them would only worsen the already severe trust issues between their alliance. Best to get it all out in the open now.

Ignoring Hayes' pointed glare, Juno ducked her head and got back to work.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to destroy this facility." The Apprentice's angry voice came without warning, startling the Cerean out of his stupor.<p>

"Oh yes? Quite a feat from your cell, I'd imagine."

The Apprentice's eyes snapped up to look at his neighbor. "I'm not going to do it alone. You're going to help me."

"Why turn you loose when you threaten my life?"

"There are worse fates."

The Cerean sighed wearily. "It's all death and pain with you, isn't it? What's wrong? Were you never loved by anyone? Did you spend your whole life with a chip on your shoulder because no one ever turned your way?"

_Vader said you were dead…but you came back…_

"No. no, no, no. Stop it. Shut UP! You know nothing about me!" He hissed through his teeth, a hand clasped over his skull as he tried to keep the pain of that memory away. He'd killed her. She was gone. He didn't need her. "It's kill or be killed. As simple as that."

"The world is never as simple as that." The Cerean smiled sadly.

"That's why I am superior." He snapped. "I see the world how it really is. Kill to survive. Hesitate and you get trampled into the dirt. I will not die. Not before he does. Not before my mission is done. I will not stay here to die."

"Fine. Fine. Just tell me your plan."

"What?" The Apprentice lurched out of his rage.

"Your plan of escape?" The Cerean sounded worried, as if he hadn't heard right the first time and had gotten the wrong idea.

"If I can get free; escape is guaranteed."

"I'm sure the guards won't mind if I ask them nicely to let me near your cell so I can slice into the system."

The Apprentice bristled at the sarcasm, imagining how easy it would be to crush the life out of him once they were freed from their prisons. "You say you're a scientist. You figure it out."

"A distraction? It'd take more than a distraction to give me enough time to open your cell."

"A distraction that ends up with their death, then. I don't care how you do it so long as you do."

"I'm not sure I want to—"

"—What? See your family again? You_ had_ a family, right?"

"_Have_ a family."

"So you aren't willing to take a few lives if it means seeing them again? A few corrupt, evil lives?" He hid his dark smile behind a hand as he saw the hesitation there. The Cerean scientist was swaying on the edge, Just a little push and—

The intermittent bleeping that interrupted them was a clear indication that someone was about to enter and, sure enough, a few seconds later, the stormtroopers, their commander and the group of filthy Wookiees trailed into the room.

The commander paused to smirk at the dark clone and, with a small smile, initiated a quick blast of electricity into the cage, that had him reeling back to the floor.

"What's this?" The commander jeered. "Lost your voice?"

"You wish." The Sith snarled through gasping breaths. "Don't worry. You'll get what's coming to you."

The commander gave a bark of laughter and moved on, overlooking his subordinates as they herded the aliens – Nawaraac included – back into their cramped cell. They were covered in dirt and all but dead on their feet.

When they were gone, a few minutes later, the Apprentice – still lying down where he had fallen – raised his ragged voice for the scientist to hear. "I will cause the initial distraction."

"But—"

"—Which will give the Wookiees a chance to play their part."

"What?"

"You understand them, yes? Those animals?"

"Yes…"

"Then tell them they're going to fight for their freedom and give us all a chance to get out of here. Maybe they'll listen to you."

"That's too big an ask."

"I'm not asking you. I'm_ telling_ you."

The Cerean frowned. "I don't think they'll be persuaded."

"What? They would choose a slow, dishonorable death? Do you all enjoy being shackled and beaten and told what to do?" He felt the beginnings of another bad headache, born from his anger and frustration. He closed his eyes in an attempt to will it away. "You will do as I say, because right now you don't even know the meaning of the word suffering."

* * *

><p>Juno felt the shadow fall over her and knew who it was without even having to turn around. Lieutenant Hayes. Back from her break. It took her a couple of seconds to soothe her irritation before turning in her seat to look at her.<p>

"Look, I'll be out of your way in just—"

"—I brought you a drink."

Juno felt her jaw fall slack, though she recovered quickly from her surprise. What was this? Hayes being…_friendly_? She couldn't help but feel suspicious as the woman set the hot beverage down on the desk. What had she done? Put something in it? Or…

"Oh, do stop looking at it like that. It's not poisoned."

"Well, uh, thanks." She watched as the tall woman sauntered back to her desk, taking a sip from her own drink. Then, finishing up her half-finished sentence in her report, Juno reached out to cradle the warm cup in her palms, finding some comfort in holding it.

She had barely taken a mouthful when Hayes looked up and spoke again. "Oh, maybe you should know, your_ boyfriend_ is causing a scene out on the docking bay."

Juno choked, spluttering even as she shot to her feet. "What?"

"Heard some of the pilots talking." The woman explained, looking smug.

Juno all but slammed the cup onto the desk and, without another word, swept from the room, hastening along the corridor towards the docking bay. Her mind played over possible scenarios, picturing him angry and threatening; knocking people roughly aside with no effort at all. Chaos erupting. The wrath of the senators falling like a hammer on their heads. Panic drove her on faster and, as she drew nearer, she could hear the sound of sabers and felt her heart sink.

She rounded the corner so fast that she almost collided straight into a small group of mechanics and was forced to leap sideways to avoid clipping shoulders. Then, a few moments later and she was crossing the docking bay, noting that a small crowd had gathered. She pushed through them, not caring about the irritated looks being cast in her direction.

"What is going on?" She lifted her voice so that he might hear her, only to find – a moment later – that the scene was not a 'scene' at all. Well, not really. He was sparring with PROXY and though he certainly looked intimidating, he wasn't directing any negative energy towards anyone else.

Juno stood, dazed, as she watched the spin of those blades and wondered why Hayes was doing what she was. Why would she do something relatively kind only to take it back with something cruel a moment later? What did she hope to achieve? Perhaps she _had_ considered this a 'scene'? Or maybe she had just jumped to conclusions? Maybe she was even jealous? Though jealous of what, she couldn't exactly say.

She dropped down onto a stray crate and, with her elbows on her knees, set her face in her hands. It was like being back at the academy. The jealousy and the bitterness and the awful bullies who had tried to make life as hellish as possible. She'd not had many friends back then, either, and those that she did make were now dead or out of her reach. After all, they were on opposing sides now. If that wasn't a barrier for friendship she didn't know what was.

"Hard day?" A woman's voice asked casually.

Juno lifted her head to see the amused gaze of a female pilot leaning against the hull of a badly damaged starfighter.

"Looks like you could do with a drink." The woman continued.

Juno threw her a weary smile. "You have no idea."

"They have excellent wine on Corellia, you know. Unfortunately, there isn't any stock onboard. So no hangovers until we get there."

"And how long will that be?"

"No idea. We're ready to go. Just waiting on orders."

_Waiting on my report_, Juno thought miserably.

"Didn't realize we had a Jedi on board." The pilot continued, perhaps an attempt at small talk. "They kept that quiet."

Another thing to worry about, Juno realized. They'd not been told specifically to keep a low profile, but maybe it had just been assumed that they would. Sparring in the docking bay was probably not a good idea when trying to stay out of the spotlight. Galen would know that, of course, which meant he was doing it to wind up the senators and prove some kind of point.

"It was probably supposed to stay that way."

The pilot laughed. "Rumor always finds a way. I don't think a Jedi can go anywhere nowadays without attracting attention. Besides, its good for morale, isn't it?"

Juno nodded reluctantly. "It's usually bad attention."

"Oh? Sounds like you've had some experience."

Juno couldn't help but smile at that, though it was a little strained. "You could say that." She admitted, pushing herself back up onto her feet.

"Wait. Wait. You can't say something like that and then just up and leave!"

"Sorry. Maybe another time?"

"Hm, I'll hold you to that."

Juno was pretty sure she'd never see the pilot again, but the idea was nice. In any case, she couldn't put it off any longer. She'd promised that she'd at least try and talk him around and since she'd run all the way here and away from her report, she figured she might as well get it over with.

She almost felt afraid as she approached them and PROXY was the first to notice her and stop – though she was almost one hundred percent sure that Galen had known she had been there the whole time.

"You're supposed to be resting." She said by way of greeting, casting her eyes between the both of them.

"Strangely enough, I found it hard to relax after that meeting." His voice was cold.

"Sparring helps with—"

"Don't give me that, PROXY. You should have known better. Now everyone's going to know that there's a Jedi on the ship."

"If it is any comfort, Captain, there were already rumors."

"Which you just confirmed."

The droid lifted his hands up as if to placate her. "My apologies."

She waved dismissively. "Forget it." Then to Galen: "Do you have time to talk?" A silly question, perhaps, since she knew perfectly well that he did. Whether or not he wanted to was another matter entirely.

His dark eyes were on hers. "Not about that. They won't listen, Juno. We shouldn't have agreed to anything. We shouldn't have even come here. I don't know why you're bothering."

She didn't really feel like pointing out that it had only been her who had agreed to their terms. He'd walked out before they'd even had a chance to discuss it. It was just a guess, but he'd assumed right.

"What else could I have done?" She asked unhappily.

"Cut our losses!" He sounded serious, too, and his raised voice was earning them some curious looks. "They only think of themselves and their own reputations. They're so scared of what other people think that they're going to refuse to act! You said, before, that you'd go with whatever I decided. What's changed?"

If he hadn't been causing a scene before. He was now.

She took him by the arm and tried to subtly lure him away from the crowds. She only managed to get him to walk a few more steps before he dug in his heels and refused to go any further.

"We need them and their resources." She said then.

"Apparently they don't _have_ any resources."

She ignored him and pressed on. "But they need us, too. We can't let them forget that. Sooner or later they're going to realize that they can't deal with the dark clone by themselves and when they do, we'll be here to step in."

"To pick up the pieces." He growled.

"It might not come to that."

"It will."

"Do you trust me at all?"

His shoulders sagged and, without warning, he took her hands in his and held them tightly. They were searing hot compared to hers. "Juno, you're the only one I trust."

"Master?" PROXY interrupted, worry in his mechanical voice.

"You, too, PROX." He added.

"Then trust me when I say that this is our best bet to finish this."

"If I could focus and meditate, maybe we don't need their resources to confirm his whereabouts. It worked before when I-when my original..." He trailed off and her heart ached in her chest.

"Let's just concentrate on getting you fixed up first. Once you're healed, you'll be able to focus better." He looked like he was about to disagree with her, so she continued hastily: "Besides, the senators might come through for us yet."

"They won't. You saw the way they looked at me. There's no way they're giving us that information."

_And whose fault is that?_ She questioned silently. "Your outburst didn't sit well with them, but I think I talked them around."

"They shouldn't have been surprised." He snapped. "I'll bet they were even hoping for that reaction. Just one more reason to say no."

"And you gave them that reason." Juno replied hotly. "Galen, you can't keep being so angry at them. They are not blameless but neither are we."

"We tried to do what was right."

She flinched away from that statement, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. "I don't know what else to say. I'm stuck in the middle of this when I don't want to be. I'm on your side, Galen. I always will be. The senators just need time to see that you aren't a threat. All they see is an angry, powerful and unpredictable man. You scare them."

"All I want is to make sure that that clone doesn't have the opportunity to hurt anyone else. I don't want their respect or allegiance. I don't want to become another tool for them to use when things get too tough. I just want to see this through."

"Patience. We'll find him one way or another, even if it is in the most dire of situations." She continued. "Besides, they've yet to see my report. I'm hoping it will give them the push they need to make the right decision."

"What exactly did you put in it?"

"Everything. Well, I will once I've finished."

"You're not finished?" He blinked, strangely startled. "So what are you doing here?"

"Oh, what? So I don't deserve a break?" She mock-glared at him. "The only reason I'm here is because you were causing a scene and that lieutenant was looking to cause trouble."

He looked unconvinced.

"Okay, look, you're clearly not ready to talk about this yet, so I'm going back to finish up. You: get yourself over to the medical bay. We can talk when I'm finished."

"Whatever happens, I won't let Kota's death be for nothing." He added and she knew that that, more than anything, had been what had tipped him over the edge in the meeting. It had been poor judgment on the senators' part for that and she wished she could turn back time and somehow divert them away from that subject. Maybe then things would have ended differently.

Juno met his gaze. "Just because the dark clone escaped doesn't mean Kota died for nothing. He was there to protect the Selonians and he did that. His death ensured their safety." She had meant it to be a comfort but it didn't seem to work. The expression on his face was conflicted.

She wanted to kiss him but the amount of people still on the docking bay prevented her from doing it. So she made do with squeezing his hand comfortingly and turned to PROXY. "Make sure he goes to the med bay, will you?"

"I will do my best, Captain."

* * *

><p>Her drink was stone cold by the time she returned and Hayes smiled politely across at her as she settled back down in her chair. The report glared back at her from the screen, unfinished and still in need of editing. Thankfully, it did not take much longer to get the draft completed, leaving her only to mull over the last few details and the tweaking of phrases. Emotionless and factual was normally an easy thing to get down into writing, but when there was so much emotion behind those words, it became strangely difficult.<p>

"All sorted?" Hayes asked.

"Yes, thank you." Her words were clipped. She set her hands over the keys and began to type.

"And what about your boyfriend?"

"Excuse me? How exactly did you come to assume the relationship between him and I?"

"Oh, please, I'm not blind. It's as plain as day. Any fool could tell." She shot Juno a victorious smile.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Besides, with your reputation for breaking protocol, it's hardly a surprise."

Juno gritted her teeth and willed herself not to rise to the bait. Instead, she transferred her report to her mobile device and vacated the room without another word. Hugging the datapad tight to her chest, she walked as swiftly as she could without drawing attention to herself, suddenly desperate for some familiarity.

She went to the _Rogue Shadow_, but the ship was in darkness and her heart sank a little at the thought of being alone. She'd hoped that she might find Galen there waiting for her and the realization that he was not brought with it an intense pang of loneliness.

Flicking some switches as she passed, she found some small comfort in the hum of the dim lights flashing above the viewport. They were not enough to light the room fully, but at least they helped to dull the glare of her datapad as she set it against the console and brought up her report. And it was there, in the poor light, that she began the last amendments, double-checking times and co-ordinates and damage reports and finishing with a summary of the assumptions made on the dark clone and details on their lead and how they had come across it.

Then, sitting back, she stared at the finished product as if she couldn't quite believe that it was done.

That was how he found her, so silent that she didn't hear him until he had dropped into the co-pilot chair beside her. She startled from her trance and turned to look at him, offering him what she hoped was a half-decent smile.

He regarded her with those serious eyes, perhaps wondering why she was sitting alone in the darkness. Perhaps wondering whether she was going to start quizzing him about his thoughts around serving the senators.

"It's done." Even her voice sounded tired.

His eyes flicked across to the datapad and quite suddenly, she'd had enough. She didn't want to talk about work anymore. She didn't want to talk about the dismal future or the pains of the past. He was here now and so was she and, for the moment, that was all she wanted.

Mind made up, she stood and, reaching over, turned off the datapad decisively. The darkness thickened.

"Don't you need to send that?"

"It can wait until tomorrow." It was late and even if one of the senators did want to read it, she was far too work-weary to even begin to discuss it. She turned to face him and felt suddenly shy and uncertain.

The pale light from the cockpit had softened his face, putting a shining point of blue in each dark eye. He seemed hesitant to speak. Hesitant to do anything, in fact. His eyes had become wary, watching her so close it was as if he expected her to attack him.

"We can talk about it tomorrow." She added, her eyes burning as her mind tried to cope with everything that had happened these last few days. She ran a hand down across her face and tried to speak again in an attempt to cover up this sudden flood of emotion. "Galen-" But her voice cracked and she gave up.

Sensing her turmoil, Galen had pushed himself up and out of his chair. Tentatively, he lifted a hand out to her and she was pressed against him a moment later, her face turned into his shoulder and her arms around his waist. She could feel him hesitate, unsure of what was required of him and, with a soft smile, she held him tighter.

Then his arms were around her and his lips grazed against her cheek; testing for a reaction as if expecting to be pushed away. And here she was thinking that he would be mad at her. With her heart fluttering, she tilted her head and their mouths met. The muscles in his back tightened briefly in response and then he puffed out a small breath of air through his nose and kissed her back. The small but intimate touch was enough to chase away some of her pains and her hands came up to cradle his face; to hold him close and keep him from escaping. To try and convey to him that she didn't blame him for anything that had happened. Whether the attempt worked or not, he responded with a surprising eagerness that made her realize he had wanted this time just as much as she had. Time that was always being spoiled by one interruption or another. Time that was always put on the sidelines while other priorities took up their attention.

She pulled away from him to catch her breath, nuzzling the side of his neck, breathing in the scent of his skin.

And then his fingers were in her hair; the sound of her name breathed against her cheek; her body pushed back against the console; pinned between it and him.

Their next kiss was less gentle and more passionate. His hands were everywhere, his mouth leaving hers to trail a hot line from jaw to collarbone. Juno gasped for breath, clutching at him for all she was worth, plucking helplessly at the layers of his clothing that were suddenly _very much in the way_.

His mouth plundered hers again, pulling a soft moan from her throat that turned into a growl as she all but dragged the tabard from his shoulders. Casting it aside, her fingers bunched in the thin fabric of his shirt; tugging it out from the waistband of his trousers.

Without warning, his hand closed over her wrist; halting her progress.

"Wait. Not here."

A bolt of alarm rang through her but she needn't have worried. For in the next moment she was being swept up into his steady arms and being hastened towards their bunk.

For the night, at least, they could try and forget everything. Everything _except_ one another.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 28th January**


	23. Risk

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Thank you everyone for all your sweet reviews! They really make me very happy! And thanks also to my new subscribers and to my lovely readers! Thanks, also goes to Liisiko who really, really helps me with making these chapters a whole lot better. **

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 23 - Risk<strong>

**Location: Besbrillmir / The _Armistice_**

* * *

><p>"Get out of your cell you filthy animals. We're behind schedule. Get UP!"<p>

The Apprentice blinked the sleep from his eyes and couldn't help a groan of pain as he tried to right himself. Across the way the Cerean was on his feet and, opposite him, so were the Wookiees.

What was going on?

Wait! Was Vader here? Is that what the panic was all about?

He rose unsteadily to his feet and tried to regain his bearings. What was happening? What time was it? How long had he slept? Had the Cerean had a chance to talk those slaves into helping out with their escape plan? Had it failed? Was that what all of the noise was about?

His vision swam and by the time it cleared again the Wookiees were out of their cell, complaining in their loud, unintelligible voices. He winced against their grating tones and tried to peer across at the Cerean, wondering if he might find some answers just by glancing in his direction. The world was still blurry – not helped by the sheen of his Force cage – but he could tell that the alien wasn't looking at him, almost as if he was pointedly ignoring him.

The Apprentice's anger boiled over.

If he was being ignored then that meant the Cerean had refused to risk the lives of those brainless brutes. And that meant another chance lost and another step closer to death. He gave a cry of rage and began to pace, trying desperately to come up with a new plan. When they came for him he'd have to pretend to be unconscious. They'd electrocute him until they were certain of it. Maybe if he could save his strength, gather his focus…

Would that even work?

Could he retain his consciousness and then blast his way out of here? Did he have enough strength left to make an escape? The heated rage inside him told him that he could do it, but the thought of Vader being there in the facility disturbed him greatly. Hopefully his master would not be able to attend in person. Hopefully he'd send some incompetent lackey who would flounder and make mistakes. Maybe his master was even hoping that he would escape and prove that he was not weak and ready to give in. This could all be some sort of test to ensure that he was still worthy of the title 'apprentice'.

The commander had paused to throw him an amused look and the Sith readied himself for that all too familiar blast of pain. He wondered, idly, how many more electric shocks it would take before his body admitted defeat. He was strong, but he wasn't invincible – though he had felt like it at times.

"You've got a little blood there." The commander indicated and the Apprentice wiped his face, smearing the blood that had trickled from his nose. Probably not a good sign. The commander's face split with a cruel grin; his laughter sharp.

And then suddenly there was a furious, animalistic bellow followed by screams and blaster fire and the room turned into a heaving mass of confusion. The commander turned to defend himself only to find the monstrous bulk of a Wookiee lunging for him. He was smashed to the floor before the stormtroopers could put down the raging beast. It took a good few shots to take the hairy alien down, as well, his back riddled with smoking wounds. Another Wookiee was tearing at the security panel that held the Cerean captive, and in a wild hiss of sparks, released the scientist who cowered away in fear.

Blaster fire still painted the air red but the fight was surprisingly even. Nawaraac had managed to grapple a blaster from the dead hands of one of the stormtroopers and had set loose with a barrage of shots that struck many of the last standing troopers. The dark clone watched the battle in a trance, feeling his blood stir and his hands tighten as he imagined himself in the fray.

And then, there was silence, filled only with the strained breathing of those who remained alive. Just two Wookiees were left standing; Nawaraac and a smaller, darker member of the species. Even with his blurry vision, however, the clone could already tell that Nawaraac had been badly wounded; confirmed when the scraggly-haired beast staggered back against the wall and slumped down to the floor.

The Cerean was at the Wookiee's side in moments and the clone's eyes darted around the room, seeking out anyone else who had survived: namely Imperials. Some still writhed in the throes of agony. Others were very, very still.

When he looked back, the Cerean was still fussing over the alien and the Apprentice became distinctly aware of the need to hurry.

"Leave that animal alone and get me out of here!" He hissed. After all, the danger hadn't passed.

The Cerean looked up, his brow wrinkled, and shook his head grimly. "Too many dead. Far too many dead. This was a mistake."

"And I've told you before that they were dead either way!"

The scientist dithered before aiding the Wookiee to his feet. The smaller one hastened to help, too, managing the bulk between them as they moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?" The dark clone seethed. "You've got to let me out!"

The Cerean paused and looked at him for a long moment. "So you can kill us? You are just as much a danger to us as they." He gestured towards the Imperials. "Why should I let you free?"

The Apprentice released a roar of rage. "You backstabbing, _traitorous_-"

"-Can you blame me for being hesitant?" The scientist interrupted. "Can you really?" And he turned again, seeming to struggle under the weight of the Wookiee. "When you threaten my life and rage like a madman?"

"But you can't do this alone. Do you hear me? You can't do this alone! There are more out there. You wont get far before they find you. Can you even use a blaster?"

The Cerean paused again, his shoulders tense, and paused to cast a look back.

The dark clone remained perfectly silent, trying to ease the rage inside of him. If he could control it for just a moment he might be able to convince the Cerean to release him from his cell.

The scientist looked torn.

"Like it or not, you can't do this without me." He hissed.

"If I let you go, what will stop you from killing us?"

_Nothing_, the Apprentice thought coldly. "Can you afford not to take that risk?" He replied.

The Cerean gave a troubled sigh, before leaving Nawaraac to lean on the other Wookiee. He crossed the room uncertainly; coming to stand by the security panel. "Okay, okay." He muttered lowly. "I can't leave you here to die and you're right; we need you." He growled, adding - under his breath: "But I am going to regret this."

Releasing the dark clone was much like opening the cage of a wild nexu.

* * *

><p>Despite the initial panic of having woken up late, Juno felt strangely calm as she joined Leia down in one of the smaller meeting rooms. Instead of using PROXY to transmit the senator's image, they had opted for the more generic holographic technology, casting her shape in a faint, blue light.<p>

"Thank you for getting your report to us so quickly, Juno."

"The sooner it's done, the sooner we can make progress." She replied easily.

"That's correct." Leia paused for a moment. "But, if you don't mind, I'd like to begin our discussion at a slightly earlier point, starting with what exactly happened on Kamino. I would like to understand the situation fully."

Juno's calm fizzled out in an instant, replaced by a cold dread. The feeling worked through her even as she tried to conjure the words to explain everything that had happened. But this conversation had already been started, back before the assault on the dark clone, and she had hoped – desperately – that she would never need to finish it.

"About Starkiller." Leia confirmed for her, then. "_Your_ Starkiller."

"What do you want to know?"

"There have been many assumptions made about his current mental state and where his loyalties lie. The other senators, naturally, are suspicious of him; particularly after his outburst yesterday. I'm seeking to clarify what is true about him and what is guesswork. I'm hoping you'll be able to put my mind at ease so that I – in turn – can ease theirs."

"I can only give you my opinion, Senator, and in this case, I'm not sure how relevant you will find it."

"You know him best, Juno and there is no one else I can turn to for answers."

Juno had to agree with that. The only other person who had any idea was Galen himself, but quizzing him on his identity would not help him gain the stability he so desperately needed. In fact, it would probably just have made things worse. "I'll tell you all I know, Leia, but there is no evidence to back up what I'm saying. I can only tell you what I have seen with my own eyes."

"Thank you. That is all I ask." She lifted a hand and made an encouraging gesture. "In your own time."

Juno twisted her fingers together tightly and looked down at them in an attempt to distract her from what she was preparing to talk about. She was just grateful it was going to be discussed with Leia and not one of the others. It was hard enough to do this with someone she was on semi-good terms with let alone with those who were not as open-minded and willing to be swayed.

"I saw the clones on Kamino." Juno began. "Floating in vats, twisted and…and horrifying. So many. There were so many. But I couldn't say whether all of them were his clones, or if some of them contained different specimens. When that place fell, we truly believed that all of the clones that had been created were destroyed – except the one with us; the one who had teamed up with Kota and beaten all odds to rescue me. We had no idea that there was another, surviving clone out there that we had missed. If we had, we would have done things a lot differently."

Leia remained silent.

"Vader had me captured alive so he could use me as bait to lure Starkiller to him. They used his feelings for me against him and that's the only reason that they spared my life and why I was held hostage. It was nothing to do with my affiliation with the Alliance or my rank."

"So there could be other clones out there that we still aren't aware of?"

"Possible, but not likely. The dark clone views our Starkiller as a failure; an inferior specimen for going against Vader and returning to the light. That suggests, to me, that his new apprentice's complete acceptance of the dark side made him the perfect candidate for Vader to manipulate. There could be others, but it doesn't seem likely that Vader would have had two 'perfect' clones active at once. Even a dedicated Starkiller clone could be unpredictable and if two turned against him he'd have no chance at success."

"But if this dark clone is killed, there is nothing to say that there aren't any back ups?"

"No. Though if there were, they would have had to have been shipped elsewhere before we arrived on Kamino."

"So why did one clone break free from Vader whilst the other remained to obey? What is different in them?"

"Perhaps our Starkiller came first and they altered the next clone to better suit their needs. Perfected the process somehow?" She winced at that. They could hardly call the dark clone 'perfect'.

"Or perhaps the other way around? If the dark clone is losing his mind – as I read in your report – perhaps it was he who came first, but Vader kept him as a stand-in if his next clone failed to produce any better results?"

Juno sighed. "I think Kota believed our Starkiller is not a clone at all. I don't know what the likelihood of that is, but all I can say is that if he is, he's certainly not your average clone. He remembers. He remembers everything. His time as Vader's apprentice, his missions, saving you from Kashyyyk, rescuing the senators from the Death Star. He remembers it as if he were there. Leia, even if physically he's not the same man, inside, in his memories, he _is_ that man. He razed that cloning facility...to find me."

Leia said nothing and Juno found herself pressing on, unable to stop herself now that she had started. "And he's afraid because he can't be sure what he is or how he came to be. He shouldn't even be able to exist but he does. He's got all these memories that he doesn't feel worthy of having. All this added pressure to continue the work that he was doing before he…before he died, but no real heart in it." She paused, her eyes burning. "Kota convinced him to continue serving with the Alliance but now that he's dead, Starkiller's struggling to see why he should remain. He's convinced that Kota was viewed as nothing more than a tool – just like Vader viewed him – and he doesn't want to be pulled back into a life of servitude. Not after everything he has been through to earn his freedom."

She paused to draw in a short breath. "He is a good man, Leia, thrown into an impossible situation. If you believe nothing else, then you must believe that much. You told me that he isn't the man I loved, but he is. He truly is."

Leia was silent; thoughtful and then: "Why did Kota think it was a good idea to keep his presence a secret from us?"

"Many reasons, I think. Perhaps he wasn't entirely sure whether Starkiller was interested in serving. Perhaps he thought that he wasn't quite ready to start fighting for the Rebels again so soon after everything that had happened. Maybe he thought that you wouldn't trust him enough to allow him to remain and fight. Probably all of those things. He was going to tell you at some point, Leia, but I don't know when or how."

The young senator nodded. "Kota never did anything without good reason, I'll give him that."

Juno nodded.

"And as for Starkiller's mental state. From what you describe, I can understand why he is acting as he is. You explained part of his outburst yesterday. Grief and self-blame are more than enough to push anyone into an angry outburst, but after listening to you, I can see there is so much more going on than that. Perhaps he is not ready to join the Alliance. Perhaps he will never be. I take it you did not manage to broach the subject of his partnership with us after our meeting yesterday?"

Juno felt her face heat up. "Not exactly, no. It didn't seem like the right time and I didn't want to push it too far too soon."

"Probably wise. It saddens me to hear that he thinks we would view him as nothing more than a tool. Kota was a dear and respected friend to us all, particularly my father. It's a dangerous game we play and we're all aware we may not live to see this through to the end, but…it does not make it any easier when we lose someone we care for."

"I know, Leia. I think – deep down – Starkiller knows that, too. Unfortunately, as fired up as he is, that is the conclusion he has come to and I can't particularly say that I disagree with him for doing so."

The young senator sighed. "Mon Mothma. She is an intelligent woman, mentor and friend, but she is stubborn in her beliefs. She and Kota never saw eye to eye, but he was still a fine warrior, one who brought us many victories. Unfortunately, her manner is not as personable as it could be."

Now it was Juno's turn to fall silent, mulling over everything that had just been said between them. She had spoken the truth – or the truth as she had perceived it. It gave her heart to think that Leia might also understand it. That she might see that he was only trying to do the right thing. That he truly was on their side.

* * *

><p>"Almost got it."<p>

"We're running out of time." The Apprentice pressed. And then, without warning, the Force cage sputtered and died and he was free. He leapt out of the containment cell faster than the Cerean could blink and gave a maniacal grin. The scientist leaped back as if expecting the clone to strike out at him. Fortunately, the Apprentice was still attempting to re-acclimatise himself. Without the curtain of light between him and the rest of room, everything looked a little bit clearer. A little bit more focused.

Lying at his feet – bleeding from a bad head wound – was the Imperial commander.

"Ah. Wait. My mistake. We do have a little time to spare." Leaning down, he grabbed the dazed man by the throat and hauled him backwards into the cell, turning expectantly to the Cerean as he drew back alongside him. "Activate the shield again."

The scientist hesitated.

"DO IT!"

The alien's hand jerked against the panel and the cage flared back into life. The dark clone smiled cruelly, shoving the scientist rudely out of the way as he took his place behind the security panel. "Now, which button was it? Ah. Yes. That one." He pressed his thumb against the activator switch and watched the electricity crack sharply against the commander's armor, attacking him with cruel, sharp jabs of pain.

The scientist tried to stop him but a blast of Force power knocked him clean away, giving the clone plenty of time to watch the Imperial writhe and scream in agony before his strangled cry fell silent and the life left him.

Only then did he lift his thumb and let the electricity fizzle out.

He turned, still smiling, and ignored the wild-eyed look the Cerean was giving him.

"I will not stop or slow. If you fall behind: you die. Anger me: you die. Get in my way: you die. Do what I tell you and you might just live long enough to get out of this place."

The Cerean looked genuinely startled that the dark clone was even giving him a chance to follow. But he nodded silently and hefted a blaster resolutely in both hands. "What about-?"

"—Leave the beasts. They'll only slow us down."

The Cerean looked set to argue, but a crackle of lightning along the dark clone's arm was enough to silence him. He knew, by now, that the Apprentice's threats were anything but empty. If he pushed even a little, he'd be dead in seconds. Even still, there was a horrible and definite pang of guilt as he passed Nawaraac by, not even daring to take the time to encourage the other Wookiee to follow.

Trusting that the scientist would follow, the Apprentice stalked out of the prison and began his ascent up the short staircase. The hum of a generator helped to mask the sounds of his footsteps – though not necessarily the demanding tone of his voice. "You, Cerean, do you know the layout of this place?"

"I have a name, you know."

"Keep it. I couldn't care less. Do you know where to go or not?"

"Only up to the labs. That's where I went to inspect their work."

"Anything of use there?"

"No. Yes. Well…maybe." The Cerean looked suddenly nervous, holding his rifle closer. "I don't know."

"Don't mess with me, alien. What do you know? What aren't you telling me?"

"They're all just prototypes. No telling what they might do."

The Apprentice swung around, his fingers finding their away around the alien's throat; holding him fast. The skin beneath felt fragile, tempting him to press down harder – to see how much the frail neck could take before it snapped. "Stop blathering and tell me – in simple terms – what you know. If you hadn't noticed, I don't enjoy my time being wasted."

"All I know are the projects I aided them with." The Cerean gasped around the fingers closing on his throat. "Two projects. Assassin droids." Another gasp; his next words even more strained. "Walkers."

"And you can you get us there?"

"Y-yes. If you let me go."

The Apprentice dropped him without warning and glared down at him with his furious, golden eyes.

The Cerean, with a groan, shakily picked himself up.

"Then let's go." The Apprentice snapped, moving on without another backwards look.

* * *

><p>"Your belief and trust in him is clear, Juno." Leia replied after a moment. "You say he is the man you once knew and I am inclined to agree. He is a good man – a troubled man, yes – but a good one. He has deep and complicated wounds that will take time to heal. He will also need people around him who he can trust and at the moment I think you are the only one who fits into that category."<p>

"I will do all that I can, but sometimes I think it's beyond even me."

"And what do you think he will say when you ask him to stand with us and temporarily abandon his search for Vader's clone?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I'll need to tread carefully with that subject and until we have a decision on what is to be done about the dark clone, I don't think I should even begin to talk him around. If the decision is made to ignore the threat completely then I can say, with almost one hundred percent confidence, that he will abandon the Alliance."

"From your report, Juno, I can safely say that we won't ignore the threat. If I was to make the decision alone, I would say that we can check the docking logs to see when the ship arrived at Fondor and then keep surveillance on him using spies we have in the sector. Unfortunately, I suspect that no move will be made to apprehend him until it is clear he poses an imminent threat which would mean diverting our resources."

"He might be agreeable to that. The other issue, of course, is the sharing of the information that you find."

"That is an issue. You will understand why we are wary of giving him any information before we have fully re-established our trust. If we hand over information too soon, there are concerns that he will just abandon our cause to carry out his own vengeance mission."

Juno's eyes darkened but she said nothing in response. She couldn't say that she would have done anything differently had she been in their position.

"And, regarding the possibility of the dark clone no longer operating under Vader's jurisdiction. How probable do you think that is?"

"More likely than not." Juno replied. "His movements suggest that he was receiving no help from Vader to get away safely. Also, he failed in his mission to kill Starkiller. Vader isn't much one for forgiveness or second chances."

"That may not have been his mission."

"That is also a possibility. Either way, he will make another attack."

"Agreed, though if he is working alone and if his mental state is deteriorating, the likelihood of his attack being well organized is much lower than if he were still Vader's apprentice."

Juno couldn't say that she disagreed with that hypothesis.

"I am due to speak with the others shortly. We won't keep you waiting long for your answer on our decision."

Juno thanked her.

"There were just a few more details I needed to touch on in the report. Namely the Selonian response to the Imperial threat and a talk through of the droids you encountered on the prototype Star Destroyer."

"Kota had the most dealings with the Selonians." Juno replied, glad for moving the topic on. "It was he who spoke with their queen and organized the assault on the downed ship. I think they were sympathetic to our cause but held some distrust, too. After all, we were strangers who had brought trouble with us and dealing with a language barrier did not help for communication, either. They helped me make some repairs to the _Rogue Shadow_ though their charity could have been a simple desire to get us away from their home as quickly as possible. They seem to be very much focused on their own issues and not the wider troubles of the galaxy."

Leia's hologram flickered as she nodded. "And the droids?"

"Deadly. The only way to destroy them is to get in close, but doing so is almost suicidal. Engaging them in the air also seemed to work well, though they made for small targets. Starkiller used a Force shield to protect himself and his group of Selonians down on the ground. The squad that entered the XF-32 were not so lucky."

"Fatalities were high."

"They could have been a lot higher if it weren't for Starkiller and Kota." Juno pointed. "If that bomb had been detonated, we would have been looking at the destruction of their entire den; queen and all."

"Certainly." Leia agreed. "I wonder whether any of the droid remains could be collected for analysis."

"There will certainly be some salvageable remains." Juno agreed. "Apologies, Senator, I didn't even think about that."

"You couldn't have been expected to. You can't do everything, Juno."

So then why, Juno thought, did it feel like she had to?

* * *

><p>"We want to make a left turn here." The Cerean informed the Apprentice as he paused in the doorway to glance out into the corridor.<p>

No signs of life.

So far their escape plan had gone well. They hadn't roused any suspicion and activity in the facility seemed strangely minimal. A few patrols paraded back and forth – but were easily predictable – and the bustling scientists were so wrapped up in their work that they barely even looked up from their datapads as they passed by. Every instinct in the Apprentice had told him to kill them as they drew close. Strike them down and revel in the power of it, but another part of him told him it was better to stay out of sight and avoid detection until the last possible moment. He still needed his sabers, after all, and his injuries were hampering him far more than he cared to admit.

He'd just have to save up the desire to attack until they were ready to make their getaway. Then there would be no more holding back.

Another patrol up ahead had him lurching into a small side room and the Cerean staggered in after him – just in time for him to close the door and mask their presence.

A sharp and sudden pain made his vision blur for a moment and he lifted away the folds of his ruined shirt to peer at the bandages beneath. They were blotched with several dark patches: a clear sign that he needed to get some medical attention soon, or else collapse from blood loss. The thought of that increased his anxiety and he thrust out a hand to steady himself, hissing angrily through his teeth.

"What's wrong?" The Cerean asked nervously.

"Med bay?" The words were growled between gritted teeth.

"Um…I'm not sure. Never saw one." At the Apprentice's frown, he quickly added: "But there must be one somewhere. Stormtroopers are renowned for their clumsiness! We'll keep an eye out for it."

Without another word, the Apprentice opened the door again and, with a quick check both ways, started off again with the Cerean hot on his heels. "Where to next? You! Where are we going now?"

"We're going right. No, no not that one. The next door along."

"You better start hoping you're able to prove your value." The Apprentice snapped, sagging against the wall as he hit the opening mechanism and peered inside. Automatic lights sputtered sleepily into being, lighting up another narrow laboratory – similar to the one he had been led into by T'arrk. By each workstation, contained within a frame, stood a droid: six in total. All of them were in different stages of development, though perhaps three looked about ready for their first round of testing.

The Apprentice gingerly settled himself into a chair and set the Cerean with a firm glare. "What are you looking at? Time is ticking. Activate those droids and give me a reason to keep you alive."

"Hack the security. Reprogram the droids. Activate their systems." The scientist muttered. "No please. No thank you."

The Apprentice, swept up by another wave of pain and exhaustion, was to weary to respond. As it was, his silence seemed to make the scientist wary enough to begin the process without much fuss, though his hands trembled under the pressure.

The Sith clone felt himself slipping back into a woozy daze, rubbing a hand across one of his chest wounds as if seeking to ease the pain by touch alone.

Without warning the door to the lab snapped open, allowing entrance to another scientist: an elderly man with a rather large and prominent nose. He paused, blinking between the alien and the wounded man, and then staggered backwards in shock. "W-what! Who are you?"

The dark clone snapped out of his chair like a striking snake, grabbing the man by the head. With a sickening crack, he twisted the man's neck; killing him instantly.

The Cerean balked.

"Get back to work." The Apprentice warned, using the Force to drag the body away from the doorway; depositing it carelessly in a corner of the room.

"Y-yes. Almost done." The Cerean's hands were still shaking dramatically and he had to pause to gain control of them before continuing.

"How long is this going to take?"

"Not too long."

"Get to it, then." The clone staggered back to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To take back what was stolen from me."

"You're leaving?"

The Apprentice didn't answer. Instead, he stepped out of the doorway and paused only to break the door's opening mechanism. If someone was really intent on getting in, it wouldn't be able to stop them, but it might be able to slow their progress enough that he could get back before they dismantled the droids.

Once they managed to get the droids running, he imagined the place would erupt into chaos pretty quickly. In his mind's eye he saw scientists and Imperials being mowed down by blaster fire and left piled in the passageways; the stench of burnt flesh all consuming. But before this place was brought to its knees, the clone needed to find his sabers. He was not likely to find replacements and constructing a new set was completely out of the question. Besides, he knew exactly where they would be.

Admiral T'arrk's office.

He was looking forward to paying the man a visit; showing him how much his hospitality had been appreciated. Perhaps pay him back in kind.

He laughed to himself as he navigated the corridors, not knowing exactly where the office was, but knowing a quick way to find out. There was always some cowardly minion who would be willing to spill secrets to retain their worthless lives.

Ducking into a small side office he brought up an arm and sent a blast of Force energy across the room. It punched into the back of a young officer and he crumpled lifelessly to the floor. Another officer; a junior, leapt to his feet and scrabbled to sound the alarm. Unfortunately for him, the Apprentice used the Force to pluck him from the ground, sending him hurtling back in the other direction. Before he could recover, the clone was on him; boot pressed against his throat, pinning him to the ground.

"If you don't want to end up like your friend, there, I suggest you do as I say."

The man's eyes bulged but he said nothing, his fingers curling white against the clone's boot.

"Where is the admiral's office?"

The man gave a strangled cry and raised an arm to point back the way the clone had come. "Stairs." He wheezed. "Top of stairs. R-r-right."

The Apprentice smiled and, with a feverish light in his eyes, crushed the man's throat.

Now confident in his path, the burden of his injuries seemed suddenly to lighten, allowing him to ascend the steps two at a time. Behind him, three unlucky guards lay dead, their bodies twisted and broken. Ahead of him was his next victim; a wide-eyed, stuttering Lieutenant whose shaking fingers sought out his blaster and failed. Behind him the two guards were quicker to step into motion and the clone threw up a barrier of Force energy, rolling to the side before striking out with intense blasts of energy. They slammed back against the admiral's office doors, leaving indentations, and slumped to the ground.

He stepped over them and into the office, turning his immediate attention to seeking any signs of life inside. He was surprised to find no trace of the man at all; certain that he would have been up there, sipping on some alcoholic beverage with his feet up.

With a growl of frustration he arched an arm up, sending a wave of Force energy across the room. It took objects from the shelves and smashed them carelessly against the far wall.

There was only one option now. With no one to interrogate and torture he was reduced to searching this hovel for what was rightfully his. He certainly was not about to be considerate with the man's belongings.

Traipsing through the office, sending more objects to the floor, he circled around to the desk. The drawers were locked but he tore them out with a sharp burst of energy and sent them crashing against the wall. There was nothing inside but two broken datapads, an expensive looking pocket watch and a rather delicately embossed pistol.

Leaving the desk, he paced along the far side of the room, scanning for something that might be secure enough to conceal a pair of lightsabers. With the Force as his ally, he ripped every single item from its place (including a rather beautifully carved statuette) and threw them haphazardly across the room. Still nothing.

Frustration growing, he moved back to the desk and swept everything from the surface, leaving the metal top bare. Then, just for good measure, he sat in the padded chair and overturned the desk; reveling in the impact as it rattled the floor panels beneath his feet. The sound of it striking the floor was immense in the stillness of the destroyed office.

Only then did he pause, leaning back in the chair to survey the carnage. There was a dull throb in his chest that accompanied each beat of his heart and, deeper, the constant nag of wounds in desperate need of medical attention.

He felt…he felt…

_"What do you feel?"_ Vader's voice echoed from his memories – his memories and not those of that inferior original.

"I feel nothing…"

He blinked and looked down at the floor. There, where the admiral's feet would have rested if he had been sat further forwards at the desk, was a small indentation. Pushing the chair away, the Apprentice knelt down and hooked his fingers into it. The panel lifted away with ease and, feeling a pang of hope, he cast it aside. Beneath the covering a small safe had been revealed, shaped into the floor so that it couldn't be simply lifted out and carried away. Reaching down, he set a palm against its smooth surface and reached out through the haze of pain to the mechanics within.

_"Nothing?"_ Vader prompted.

"Hate…" The clone whispered. "Hate for his weaknesses. Disgust…for his failings. And pride for rising above them."

The lock gave a shattering crack as it broke and, simultaneously, the office doors snapped apart to reveal a small troop of Imperial soldiers. A cacophony of shouts and weapon fire resonated through the room, met with the hum of a lightsaber activating.

* * *

><p>"Have the recovery team been sent to collect the bodies of the fallen?" Juno asked quietly.<p>

"As I understand, they are already there and making progress, yes."

"And what of Kota?"

"If you and Starkiller are in agreement, I believe he will be taken to Alderaan. My father is arranging for him to be given the traditional Jedi funeral."

"We suspected as much. I could think of no place better suited for him to go." Juno agreed sadly. "Starkiller will agree, too, I am sure."

"My only regret is that I cannot be there myself."

"Starkiller and I have already said our goodbyes. He's with the Force now."

Leia's eyes lowered, perhaps in a moment of silent respect, and then gently, she continued: "May I ask you something else, as a friend and not as a senator?"

"You may." Juno hadn't meant that to sound so hesitant.

"How are you coping with all of this? You spoke about Starkiller's delicate mental state, but what about your own, Juno? You've had a lot to deal with since the attack on the _Salvation_. Your life has been upturned just as much as his has."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

The hologram fluttered and Leia's face seemed concerned and disbelieving.

"I'll be fine." Juno reiterated, smiling softly. She was stronger than she looked. She could get through this just as she'd gotten through everything else that had been thrown her way. She'd not exactly had an easy life before joining the Rebels and with Galen at her side, she felt stronger and more determined than ever. Besides, Leia would have many problems of her own to deal with. The young senator certainly didn't need her to add to them.

"If you need anything in the way or support, Juno, I want you to feel like you can speak to me about it."

"Thank you, Leia. That means a lot."

"I also owe you an apology—for what was said during our last discussion."

Juno felt suddenly embarrassed, remembering her brash defiance and her complete admission of her feelings for Galen. She had never really thought beyond that little moment in time or of the repercussions it might have. She opened her mouth to free Leia of any wrongdoing, but the younger woman held up a hand to quieten her.

"I was quick to judge him and dismiss him as dangerous when I should have given him the benefit of the doubt. I hope I will have the opportunity to speak with him about this in person."

"I should apologize too, for what I said to you."

"You were defending someone you care for. I would have done the same."

"Even so, I'll apologize all the same."

"Then apology accepted." Leia smiled. "Now, let us move forwards. The past cannot be changed, but the future can always be made brighter."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 11th February**


	24. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Update day here again! These seem to come around scarily fast. Many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers and a big 'hello' to my new subscribers/readers. A special thanks goes out to my beta, Liisiko who has been helping me with these chapters. **

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 24 - Escape<strong>

**Location: Besbrillmir / The _Armistice_**

* * *

><p>The sense of completeness that having his weapons back pumped adrenaline into his veins as he charged down the stairs and careened around the corner to hastily make his way back to the lab; where he had left that scientist reprogramming those assassin droids.<p>

He supposed it had been too much to hope that no one had sought entrance into the laboratory in his absence. There, trying to force their way in was a group of stormtroopers. Hovering worriedly behind them were two scientists and it was they who spotted the Apprentice first, cowering back and crying out in their keening voices.

He spun, the red blade pivoting with him, stabbing between the plates of armor to take out the first trooper's throat. One slain, the blue blade was next to come alive in the Sith's hand, searing an almost vertical slice up the next one's chest plate. Now, with his back to them, he rotated the blades into a reverse-grip and jabbed back, impaling the last two just below the ribcage. Together, they sagged forwards and, shaking them loose, he sent one blade to chase down the fleeing scientists; using the Force to control its path and cut the legs out from under them. They screamed and writhed there on the floor where they fell and he left them to their agony as he ripped the doors to the lab open and stepped inside.

"Cerean, have—" He paused, confused.

The scientist was gone and so had all of the droids; the frames that had once supported them now hanging empty. Ripping a desk up from the floor, he cast it back to block the doorway and prevent easy access from any soldiers who might happen past.

The high, biting shrieks of the scientists still echoed painfully in the corridor beyond.

"Where did he—" And then he spotted the door on the far side of the room, tucked in an unlit corner as if it didn't want to be noticed. With a short breath, he crossed the room and blasted the door inwards.

He was met with six pairs of piercing red eyes.

"A-ah! You're back!" The Cerean, who had paused in fright, returned to scuttling back and forth between consoles, looking both harassed _and_ delighted. "Stand down, Sentinels. Stand down."

"Yes, Maker." The six droids echoed in their mechanical, emotionless voices, lowering their weapons obediently.

"You do realize that by breaking the door, you've left us open to attack?" The scientist pointed out. "Always with the violence."

"Remember who you're talking to."

"Find what you were looking for?" The scientist continued, head down as he studied a particular display, his hands darting over the keys.

"The objects, yes, but not the man."

The Cerean looked up at him and then startled again. "You're bleeding."

Automatically, the Apprentice looked down and was more than a little shocked to see a small puddle of blood forming at his feet. He shuffled backwards, aware suddenly of the burning wound in his side and the steady trickle of blood down to the floor. He wavered on his feet and would have collapsed had it not been for the scientist dashing in to support him. Angry – furious, in fact – at receiving help from a weaker, inferior being, he shoved the alien away and sagged back against the wall.

"You're going to bleed to death."

"The Force sustains me."

"Force or no Force, let me see if I can find something to bandage those wounds."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'? I can't get out of here without you. If you die, I die." The Cerean worriedly ran a hand through his scraggly, graying hair and cast a frantic look around the room. "There should be an emergency kit somewhere." He dashed across the room and began to search through the contents on the workstations. In his panic, he accidentally knocked the kit onto the floor. The container burst open, throwing its contents in all directions.

Bored of watching the bumbling scientist, the Apprentice turned his gaze to the rest of the room. It was poorly lit but he still couldn't believe that he'd managed to overlook the prototype Walker crouched in the center of the room. It stood on an elevator, dark and motionless and though it was smaller than he had imagined, there was still something distinctly predatory about it.

"Here." The Cerean had retrieved bandages and some bacta patches from the floor and now held them out towards the Apprentice.

"Are you going to activate that?"

"The Walker? Y-yes."

The Apprentice winced as he took the medical supplies and took a moment to peel away the tatters of his dark shirt and filthy bandages. The cruel gouges in his sides – carved there by twisted metal – and the searing mark across his chest blazed an angry red against his pale,_ pale_ skin. His hands shook as he pressed the patches into place and then, gritting his teeth, he wrapped the bandages around his torso, using the entire roll in the process.

He looked up and the Cerean's head snapped back around to concentrate on his work.

Then, suddenly, raised voices cut the air and the Apprentice lurched forwards, his hand coming to rest over the hilt of his crimson blade.

"How long is it going to take?" He demanded.

"This isn't easy, you know! If I don't get this right, it could end up attacking us as well."

"So you could operate it now?"

"Well…yes, but—"

"—Then stop talking and do it."

There was a tremendous crash as the desk blocking the doorway was forced from its place and a moment later the security alarms began to blare.

The clone turned to meet the troops as they charged into the room, throwing up an arm and sending a great swath of electricity washing over them. The first five soldiers were propelled backwards into their comrades but the gaps created by their absence were quickly filled with others. Drawing more power, his fingers curled, knuckles bone-white, he sent more energy shooting forth. In his haste and desperation, some went wild, snapping angrily against the walls. Frustrated, he abandoned the lightning for a more precise means of attack. The crimson blade activated, the intense heat of it crawling against his skin as he swung it forward, carving deep into the chest plate of the nearest trooper.

Behind that trooper, three more fell – each shot clearly through the head by the assassin droids at the clone's flank. To the Apprentice's surprise – and disappointment – the last of the attackers dropped back and made a hasty retreat – clearly deciding to wait for backup rather than risking their lives.

"Cerean, get that—" The words died in his mouth.

The elevator the Walker was positioned on lurched and then complained loudly as it began to lower, taking the droid with it.

"What are you doing?" The rage flared and without even thinking he was pulling the scientist away from the controls. The act was so violent that it sent the Cerean clear off of his feet, throwing him hard on his side. The Apprentice slammed his hand against the controls, halting the elevator's progress and then whirled to finish off the scientist.

The Cerean's expression gave him pause however. The scientist looked horrified but the dark clone was not the cause.

"It's activating. It's _activating_!" The scientist shrieked. "Send it down! Quick! Send it down!" He was trying to stand but his strength seemed to have failed him.

Behind him the Apprentice heard the Walker's mechanisms engage, the sound of it powering up sending a high-pitched buzzing through his ears. He turned back just as the Walker leapt, the cruel scythe-shaped limbs hooking over the edge of the elevator as it tried to pull itself up. His hand jerked towards the panel and the elevator gave a horrible grinding as it continued its downwards path.

The Walker gave an angry mechanical roar, its body slamming against the wall of the elevator as the platform disappeared beneath its 'feet', leaving it dangling from the edge. Then the hooked legs seemed to grip tighter as the Walker prepared to hoist itself up. The Sith did not give it a chance.

Beckoning the Force to his aid, he coiled its energy around the Walker's legs and moved them – slowly but surely – the tips of its limbs screeched against metal, scattering sparks, and then it toppled backwards. The Apprentice waited for the thunderous sound of it connecting with the very bottom of the elevator. But the sound never came.

Stepping forwards and resting his palms against the edge, he peered down into shadows.

And there, down at the bottom – glaring back at him with eight piercing photoreceptors – was the Walker, very much undamaged, clearly having somehow landed on its feet. It gave another mechanical clicking sound and with exceptional speed, launched itself up at him. The Apprentice lurched backwards, staggering away from the platform.

"It'll get up. It'll get up. We need to get out of here." The Cerean panicked, still trying to pull himself upright.

With the alarm still blaring in their ears, both began to search for a way out. Unfortunately there was only one way out and, by the sounds of the yelling that rose above the alarm, it would not be particularly easy. Setting his jaw, the sabers came to life in his hand with a familiar hiss.

The assassin droids fanned out, rifles at the ready, and as the Apprentice stepped through the door, he heard them follow.

"If they want death." He hissed. "I'll give them death."

The clone left behind a corridor piled with lifeless bodies, the stench of seared flesh more than enough to hasten his step. Beneath them, perhaps two or three floors below, he could hear the mechanical shrieking of the small but agile Walker. He wondered who had the highest death count so far: him or the droid.

Ahead of him was another short flight of stairs. The clone had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that if this was an underground base, going up was his best bet. If he could get to that landing field he could get away from here and…well, if there were any ships _left,_ that was. The alarm could have sent them all into a hurried take-off.

From a door by the stairs a small battalion of stormtroopers led by an officer in olive-grey uniform appeared; almost running straight into them in their hurry to escape. They pulled up short, the sounds of their yells inaudible over the alarm.

The officer raised his blaster and the Sith stepped aside to give one of the assassin droids a clear shot. A gaping hole opened up between the officer's eyes. His mouth hung slack as he fell backwards, hitting the floor hard. And then the Sith was amongst them, cutting and turning; feeling the burn of the air as blaster fire streamed past him – always so close but never hitting.

When they lay dead, he ascended the stairs, not looking back—never looking back.

Behind him, only four of the six Sentinel droids remained. The two who had been the least prepared for battle had fallen quickly – the lack of armor leaving them vulnerable enough they had not survived the first clash. Those that remained huddled close to their new master. How the Cerean was faring, the clone did not know.

He reached up, rubbing his forearm against his head to wipe away the trickles of sweat that insisted in running into his eyes, pausing to catch his breath as he scanned the area.

Then, quite suddenly, the alarm died, throwing them into a silence that was almost as deafening. He could hear the harshness of his own breathing, the buzz of the sabers still alive in his hands. Then, distantly, echoing again and again, came a twisted, agonized scream followed by the sound of rending metal.

"The Walker." The Cerean wheezed from somewhere behind him.

The Sith opted to turn right, heading away from the sounds of those pain-filled cries. He was almost at the end of the corridor when the skulking Walker broke through, clawing its way up through the levels between them with horrifying ease.

"Sentinel-2!" The Cerean barked. "Defend."

"Yes, Maker." The droid turned, taking a defensive posture. It's red, arrow-shaped eyes seemed to glare bright as it raised its rifle and fired off a round of precise shots.

The clone would not see how precise the shots were – too busy trying to wrench the door open. It had locked itself down when the alarm had been raised and, in his fatigue and desperation, he struggled to inch the Force between the gap to prise it open.

He heard the droid fire again and the hurried sound of the Walker closing in. The doors shook and then, with an almighty roar, he gave up on being precise and rammed the Force into it.

"Hurry! Hurry!" The Cerean urged. "Sentinel-4: defend!"

"Yes, Maker."

The droid stepped up to put itself between them and the enemy just as the Walker tore through its 'brother' further down the corridor. The mechanical beast reared, screeching, and then leapt forwards; eyeing up its next prey for the briefest of moments. Then it advanced, the laser fire little more than rain against its activated shields. It reared up, bringing its front limbs down onto Sentinel-4, cutting the droid in half.

"Sentinel-3!" The Cerean cried, preparing to send another droid to its untimely death.

The walker stumbled as it tried to advance again, the droid's body caught on one of its limbs; interrupting its fluid movement. It paused to shake itself free and in that moment, the door burst open – leaving a wide enough gap for them to pass through. The clone staggered as he ducked beneath, urging his legs to work even as he gained momentum. Up ahead a shaft of light came in a small window in the ceiling. Daylight! Even as he approached, he gathered his strength in preparation, feeling for the Force and drawing it close around him. And, with a surge of power he turned to face the way they had come, reaching up with both hands. The Cerean and the remaining droids hurried past him, the scientist ducking as if to avoid an attack.

Then the ceiling above groaned and, when it gave way, it was sudden and without warning. The thick durasteel peeled away from the panels, driving down to bar the way. And with it came the earth; great torrents of it so heavy and deep that, for a moment, the Apprentice wondered if the light he had seen had not been daylight at all.

But trapped behind the metal and earth was the Walker, its angry screeching becoming muffled.

Then, at last, daylight poured in followed by clean, damp air and the scent of wet grass.

The Apprentice, with the last of his strength, hauled himself up the mound of debris, his hands and feet sinking into the wet soil and compacting it as he went.

The sun was low in the sky, bleeding color into the horizon. Behind him, the grey clouds that had most likely brought the rain that had made the air so moist, were distant and unthreatening. The clone took another step and staggered, falling to one knee. Behind him he could hear the struggles of the Cerean attempting to claw his way up the earth. Half-turning, he could glimpse the dark shapes of small Imperial ships left on the landing field. Most likely their crews had been killed, or perhaps, for quicker evacuation, all personnel had boarded one craft.

Either way, one of those ships would be their ticket out of here. Maybe there'd even be one with a fully equipped medical bay. Would that be too much to ask for?

He took a sluggish step and then the ground seemed to pitch to the side, throwing him to the ground. With startling speed, his vision receded; his mind lost to darkness.

* * *

><p>"We have reached a decision regarding the dark clone." Mon Mothma spoke. She was dressed in a simple white garb, her hands resting one atop the other in her lap. Her eyes, as always, were serious.<p>

Juno shifted nervously, her fingers wrapped tightly around Galen's wrist as he stood, tense and defensive, at her side. He was clearly prepared for an argument and she worried about the consequences if he lost his temper yet again.

"We have agreed to follow up the lead you discovered on the Pellezara Station." Mon Mothma continued. "We cannot ignore the possible threat he poses, neither can we waste the effort you went to in order to recover this information."

Galen's brows lifted very slightly in surprise and Juno offered Mothma a relieved smile. "Thank you, Senator."

The older woman inclined her head briefly.

"Wait." Galen stepped forward and Juno's grip instinctively tightened on his wrist. He didn't try to shake her off, but his fingers on that hand curled into a fist. "That's all very well, but what exactly do you plan to do with the information that you find on him?"

"That will depend on the extent of the information gathered. If you mean: 'will we be keeping you in the loop', then my answer can be neither a yes or a no. There may be nothing of much worth to pass on to you, or the situation may make sharing details with you impossible."

"If he needs dealing with, I'm the_ only_ one who has the power to face him."

"Of that I am well aware. Rest assured, you will be informed if it comes to that."

Galen didn't look convinced but he seemed willing to drop the argument – for the time being at least.

"Am I right in assuming you will co-operate with the Alliance?"

"So long as you keep your end of the bargain." He replied swiftly.

"We have already sent word to our spies located on Fondor." Mothma rebuked bitingly.

Galen turned querying eyes to Juno but she gave him a pointed look. He had to be the one to make the decision, not her. He could choose to trust and put his vengeance to one side, or he could choose to pursue it now, without the aid of the Rebels. Either way she would side with him, but it needed to be him who chose their path.

Realizing that Juno had no intention of speaking, his eyes snapped back to the face of the older woman. Then, after a long moment, he gave a sharp nod. "You have our allegiance, then." The words seemed bitter on his tongue and he was clearly still torn.

"Very well, then." The Senator rose from her chair in one fluid, elegant movement. The fabric of her gown rustled softly. "You will accompany the _Armistice_ to Corellia and await further instruction."

Juno sighed quietly. It was an alliance, then, but an unsteady one. "Understood."

Mon Mothma looked as if she wanted to say more; perhaps a warning for them to behave. That they were on their very last chance. Whatever she had been thinking she clearly thought it better not to speak it. With her usual decorum, she waited for them to depart.

Without another word, Galen turned to leave, his hand snagging Juno's to pull her along at his side once they were in the corridor, hastening away from the room as quickly as possible.

"You know I would have supported you no matter what decision you made, don't you?" Juno asked, worried.

"I know."

"You're already regretting it, though? The decision you made?"

He shook his head. "Both choices came with regret."

Juno's eyes softened with understanding. "I can't disagree with that."

He squeezed her hand tightly and she shifted closer to him, hugging his arm tightly to her side. Whatever happened would happen, but they would face it together.

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><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 25th February**


	25. Accompaniment

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Force Unleashed!**

**Note: I am SO sorry for the delay in this. I hate missing a deadline, especially when I should have been able to meet it. I've clearly done something to upset this site as I seem to be getting login and story edit errors on a regular basis now. Apologies in advance if this chapter is not as polished as normal because of this. There's only so many times I can attempt to get my edits to save before I have to admit defeat****. ****Thank you to all my reviewers and readers, both old and new! A big thanks to Liisiko, as always, for her help and support!**

**EDIT: For some reason the middle scene of this chapter was cut out. Hopefully it should be there, now.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 25 - Accompaniment<strong>

**Location: Corellian Shipyard**

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><p>Juno, Galen and two other personnel were seated on one side of the long table as Commodore Viedas stood before the holo-unit, waiting for the image to sharpen as the device warmed up after a long time sitting idle. The <em>Armistice<em> had managed to dock in a large shipyard orbiting the planet Corellia and the commodore had decided to take the opportunity to get a change of scenery.

Judging from the poor standards of the room, however, it seemed he might be starting to regret that choice. It was small and full of mismatched, uncomfortable furniture and the air held a slightly stale scent. In the far corner of the room, a small maintenance droid was busy cleaning the floor where a puddle of rusty looking water had escaped from a leaking pipe.

The Rodian cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention and then introduced those gathered.

"Starkiller and Captain Eclipse, this is Ja-Ran Leed, Head Mechanic stationed here and his assistant, Kito Riishk. They will be aiding you with making the repairs to your ship." He looked to Ja-Ran for confirmation.

"I already have the schematics, Commodore." Ja-Ran confirmed. "I would appreciate some time with Captain Eclipse, also – sometime later today, preferably."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." The Rodian's tapering mouth lifted in a slight smile. He hadn't said as much, but Juno fancied that the commodore, in fact, was rather relieved to hear that they had remained with the Alliance despite everything that had happened. "Would that be well with you, Captain?"

"Of course." She turned to the mechanic. "I can arrange to come and speak with you after this meeting, if you would like."

"The sooner the better." Ja-Ran agreed. "I understand that there are repairs that need to be completed as well as the possibility of some upgrades. As you are aware, we're running on a tight schedule, but there should be enough time to make some adjustments."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you."

"Then, if you would excuse us." Ja-Ran stood, bowed his head towards them and then ushered his assistant out of the room.

There was a brief moment for the commodore to gather his thoughts and then, at last, the meeting was ready to begin properly.

"Your destination will be Nar Shaddaa." The commodore began, zooming in on the holographic map of the galaxy until the polluted moon filled the screen.

Nar Shaddaa. It had been a long time since Galen and Juno had been on its miserable, decaying surface – back when they had been searching for Kota after their escape from the_ Empirical_.

It was nothing more than a hot-spot for crime; its sprawling cities inhabited by criminals, pirates and smugglers. Even now, Juno could clearly remember the awful smell of the place and how the stench had lingered in her hair long after they had left – even after a number of washes. It was not a nice place, not by a long shot and the thought of once again moving amongst the crowded streets, struggling to breathe, instantly crushed her spirits.

The holographic map scaled down even further, focusing in on a rectangular strip of city. The overhead view of the streets was little more than a mass of twists and turns; totally incomprehensible to the untrained eye.

"Six days from now, Nar Shaddaa will be host to one of the largest swoop race events in the galaxy. We have managed to confirm the attendance of at least three important targets who will be attending." The holographic image shifted again, displaying the images of three human males. All of them had rather average appearances – which they used to their benefit, perhaps. Striking features would stand out in a crowd, after all.

"Who exactly are they?" Juno asked curiously.

"They're information brokers." Viedas continued. "One of which was recently involved in aiding with a nasty attack on one of our freighters."

"How are the brokers getting this information?"

"That is the most concerning part. They most certainly have many different routes they can take, but the two that concern us most is the possibility of their own spies amongst our numbers or rebels who are giving them this information."

Juno tried not to look horrified at the prospect, but it must have shown because the Rodian followed up hastily.

"There's no saying that these rebels are willingly handing over the information that they request, but whether we like it or not, these sorts of things are bound to happen. What is it they say? Every man has his price?"

"So what exactly do you want us to do? Assassinate them?" Galen got straight to the point. He cared little for pointless background information. Point him at the target and he would do what needed to be done.

The Rodian, picking up on his impatience, gave a brief nod and the holo-image flared again, shifting back to another close up on a section of the city. "What we need of you, Starkiller, is not as easy as all that."

Galen's eyebrows lifted.

"Have you ever operated a swoop bike before?"

Before he could even answer, Juno leapt in to respond for him. "You can't be serious."

Both Galen and Viedas looked taken aback and that response only seemed to aggravate her further.

"Do you realize how many idiot racers are killed ever year on those things? Those bikes are unpredictable and dangerously modified. It's not at all like piloting a ship."

"True as that may be, Starkiller_ is_ Force-sensitive." The commodore returned.

"But that doesn't make him invincible. Besides, I fail to see how competing in a race would benefit us in this situation."

"If you would let me finish?"

Juno, flushing, fell silent. Inwardly she chastised herself for her lack of professionalism. Perhaps there was some truth to what Hayes had been saying after all. She was letting her personal feelings get in the way of her job. But how could she not? This was the man she loved and he bled and hurt just like anyone else.

"This year, the races on Nar Shaddaa are being sponsored by the information brokers, which explains their presence and also puts them in a particularly vulnerable position. A position we can take advantage of. Attempting to get close to them during the event would be near impossible, particularly judging by previous attendance to these events. If we want to keep this low-key, we will need to wait. Traditionally, when all the races are concluded, the winners are invited back to an exclusive celebration. The numbers will be limited, of course, and all of the sponsors will be in attendance."

"So I need to win a race to get myself on the invite list." Galen didn't sound too concerned.

"That's it exactly." Viedas nodded. "We want the brokers brought in alive. We intend to question them and discover who amongst us has provided them with information."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"I assume I'll be monitoring from the _Rogue Shadow_?" Juno checked.

"That's correct. You'll also be taking another member with you; Flight Officer Sia, who is currently stationed here. She's already been briefed, but I'll be sure to introduce you."

"What?" Galen's eyes darkened.

"The flight officer will be accompanying you to the event to keep an eye on our targets and report back anything abnormal whilst you are occupied."

"If she's a pilot, what experience does she have in this?" Galen continued. "I won't be responsible for her."

"You won't need to be." Viedas continued. "She is there as an observer only and will maintain a constant link with both you and Juno. Flight Officer Sia has been chosen carefully for this mission. She has knowledge that will be integral to the successful communication between yourselves and the operatives we already have stationed there."

"Operatives?"

"Yes. They will be notified of your arrival and be there to greet and update you on the immediate situation. They will also accompany the flight officer to the event and aid in alerting to any changes. Unfortunately, these operatives are Chadra-Fan."

Juno and Galen blinked, clearly not understanding the weight of that sentence.

"They're a race that have a very unique dialect. They can understand Basic, but their grasp of speaking the language is somewhat limited. Flight Officer Sia has had a lot of experience working with the Chadra-Fan and will be able to communicate with them far more readily than those who might have been better suited."

"They why use the Chadra-Fan at all?" Galen asked; his irritation still prominent.

"They're…particularly suited for undercover work. Let's just say it comes naturally to them. You'll see for yourselves when you meet them." He continued: "Once you have the information brokers held captive you will be sent the co-ordinates for your next destination. The event will begin at fourteen hundred hours local time with the last race scheduled to come to a close at approximately twenty-three hundred hours. You will be provided with all the equipment you need and a full mission detail will be sent to you."

"And the swoop?" Juno asked.

"Is at Nar Shaddaa. Unfortunately there won't be enough time to do more than a couple of practice runs."

The blonde pilot frowned but said nothing.

Galen, however, seemed completely relaxed about the whole thing. "This job sounds suspiciously easy."

The Rodian gave a short nod. "Much of our time is spent doing preventative work to keep situations like this from escalating out of control. If we can weed out spies amongst our numbers that will go a long way to preventing a lot of major disasters in the future." Shaking his head, he switched back to the mission at hand. "You have already been registered under the name 'McLeod'. You may want to avoid winning the grand finale to avoid attracting too much attention at the celebration. Racers are sorted at random so there's no predicting the quality of the competition you may come up against." He gave a wry smile. "But, as you say, this should be no problem for you."

Galen gave a short nod.

"Well, if you have no more questions, shall we go and meet the flight officer who will be joining you?"

"Lead the way, Commodore." Juno replied lowly, getting to her feet and waiting for the Rodian to power down the holo-unit. Then, with that done, he strode towards the door and left without pause, assuming that he would be followed.

Before Galen could take a step, Juno's arm lifted to prevent him from leaving the room. "Have you even raced before?"

"No."

She frowned at him, opening her mouth to tell him how reckless he was being. To tell him how that sort of attitude would be more than enough to land him in trouble.

He interrupted her before she could get a word out: "It'll be fine. How hard could it be?"

"Weren't you listening to anything I said, before? You can be so infuriating!"

He turned to her, setting his hands heavily on her shoulders. "Juno." He leaned in close and kissed her hard on the mouth; stunning her into silence. "Stop worrying."

"You're reckless." Juno countered weakly.

"And you say it like it's a fault?" He arched a brow teasingly.

The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped them back to attention. Viedas was stood in the door, frowning slightly at them. "Are you coming?"

* * *

><p>"Ah, yes, there she is. Right on time." The Rodian exclaimed; arriving just as the pilot stepped out of her starfighter and dropped to the ground. The deck rang beneath her heavy boots as she landed.<p>

"Flight Officer Sia?"

The pilot straightened and looked towards them curiously. "Yes, sir!"

"This is Captain Eclipse and the Jedi, Starkiller." He gestured towards them as they came to stand at his side. "You were briefed this morning about your next assignment, I presume?"

"That I was, sir. Looking forward to it." Her fingers worked at the buckle under her chin and then she pulled the helmet off of her head, revealing a merry-looking face and a frizz of wild black hair.

Juno started. This woman was the very same one who had spoken to her that day she had gone in search of Galen; afraid that he had been causing a scene.

Noticing that Juno had clearly recognized her, the pilot chucked. "And we meet again! When I heard I'd be helping out a Jedi I did wonder." She threw them a wide smile, clearly proud that she had come to the right conclusion.

"You know one another?" Viedas sounded surprised.

"Only in passing." Juno replied. She felt Galen's eyes on her, perhaps seeking to see if that was a good or bad thing. In truth, Juno wasn't quite sure. The woman seemed friendly enough but whether she was truly suitable for the assignment…she really couldn't say.

"Flight Officer Oren Sia, at your service." The woman threw out a hand and Juno took it.

"Nice to meet you."

But Sia's eyes had already moved to Starkiller, her expression curious. Unlike most people, however, she didn't bother to hide it, nor did she even attempt to stop herself from leaping in to speak with him. Shy, she most certainly was not. "I've never worked with a Jedi before. I hear your kind attract a lot of trouble, though." Her eyes twinkled with excitement. "Should be very interesting."

"I'll leave you to your introductions." Viedas continued, extricating himself from the group. Only Juno bothered to acknowledge his leave.

"So, are you a _Master_ Jedi?"

Galen's eyes narrowed. "No."

"Didn't think so. Too young for that. No grey hair." She tilted her head. "So what is your rank, exactly?"

"I don't have one."

She looked taken aback by that. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"That seems sort of weird."

He glowered at her.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Still the glare.

Sia gave a short shrug, seeming happy to let the subject go for now, turning to look at Juno. "So. You're his pilot, then? That's how you know him? Is he chattier with you?"

Juno couldn't help but be a little flustered at that. "I'm his pilot, yes." Then, changing the subject: "I need to meet with the head mechanic to discuss plans for the _Rogue Shadow_. Would you like to accompany us? It would give me an opportunity to show you around."

"Your ship? Of course! Let me just get rid of my gear and I'll be right with you." She patted her crash helmet and loped off across the deck.

"What was Viedas thinking?" Galen said the moment Sia was out of earshot. "We can't take her with us."

"She does seem like an odd choice."

"If she couldn't speak to those Chadra-Fan there's no way that she'd have been assigned to this operation. She asks too many questions. I can't work when I constantly have to watch what I do or say. If we take one wrong step, it _will_ get back to the Senators."

"Then we won't take a wrong step." Juno reasoned.

He growled under his breath. "Easier said than done."

"It'll be okay, Galen." She reached out and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "It's only one mission."

"Is it, though? I get the feeling the senators are going to keep us under close watch from now on."

With a sigh, Juno let go of his hand and gave a small shrug. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"If it's not her, it'll be someone else. They want us watched. That much is obvious."

"You don't know that for—"

"—Okay. Ready!" The flight officer was hurrying back to them, pausing to tie her thick, black hair into ponytail high atop her head.

Galen and Juno shared one last look before the blonde pilot stepped forward and took the lead.

* * *

><p>Ja-Ran Leed, a Zabrak who clearly did not like waiting around doing nothing, was already speaking with PROXY when Juno, Galen and Sia finally arrived on the scene. At his side, his assistant, Kito, was frantically trying to record conversation detail on his datapad.<p>

"Repairs have been…crude." Juno heard the Zabrak state bluntly, reaching up to rap his knuckles against the patched hull of the stealth ship. "Kito, walk with me. Make note of the materials as I say them." And, without even registering that he had company – the ship's own captain no less – he began to circle the vessel, listing required materials as he spotted flaws in the structure.

Juno couldn't help but feel a sudden need to defend the ship from the mechanic's critical eye. After all, it had been through a lot. It was amazing it was still in one piece at all.

Galen, who seemed to notice her shift in mood, gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

"I tried to tell him to wait until you had arrived, Master." PROXY spoke apologetically as he approached them. His walk was still slightly labored. "He could not be discouraged."

"That's alright, PROXY." Galen replied.

"Wow." Sia exclaimed. "That droid is almost as beat up as your ship. Must have been one hell of a mission you just got back from."

"I am in the process of self-repair." PROXY replied, sounding a little offended. "I am operating at currently eighty-two percent; perfectly adequate to fulfill my obligations."

"You're a protocol droid?"

His vocabulator emitted a slightly strangled sound. "Hardly. I am a holodroid."

"A holodroid?"

"PROXY." Juno interrupted. "This is Flight Officer Sia. She'll be accompanying us on our next mission. I'm going to be showing her around the ship in just a moment."

If the droid had any response to that, he was given no chance. At that moment Ja-Ran and Kito were bustling towards them. As they neared, the mechanic snatched the datapad from his assistant's hand and brandished it at Juno.

"There is a lot of work to be done! But what do you expect when you mistreat a ship they way you have! Come, come, we have much to discuss. We'll need to get started right away if all this work is to be completed in time."

"How long is this likely to take?" Juno asked.

"As long as necessary."

Juno nodded, trying not to show her impatience. Deciding not to argue or delay, she turned to Galen and offered him a smile that instantly put him on edge. She only smiled like _that_ when she wanted something.

"Would you be able to show the flight officer around in my absence?"

He gave her a look that held a mix of irritation and panic. Sia made him uncomfortable and he lacked patience for her questions already.

"I'll rejoin you as soon as I am able."

"I will also assist you, Master." PROXY assured.

"Thank you." She replied gratefully. And then Juno was being hastened off by the impatient mechanic, his scolding still clear on the air even as they walked away.

Sia was first to break the awkward silence: "Well? Are we going to go in?"

Galen and PROXY shared a look and then, with a short sigh, he turned towards the ship and gestured for the woman to follow. "Let's get this over with. Just don't touch anything."

They ascended the loading ramp, Sia tailing behind to absorb her surroundings as he led them around the ship, not speaking unless prompted with questions.

"So…maximum crew?"

"Eight." He replied. Although, there had never been a time, as long as he could remember, that there had ever been as many as that on the ship.

"But, it can be piloted by, what, one?"

"Correct."

"So, where did you get this ship, exactly?"

"What do you mean?" He immediately felt himself grow wary and defensive.

"Well…the style. It reminds me of the TIE Fighters—a lot, actually. This is a stolen Imperial ship?"

"What do you think?" He bit back.

"That's a yes if I ever heard one." She seemed pleased with herself. "So, tell me more."

He steeled his patience. "Just through there is the medical bay." He hoped someone would remember to get supplies restocked. They had seemed to have stayed at low levels for a long while now.

"I meant; tell me more about how you managed to steal the ship."

He sent a glare her way and she smiled hopefully back at him. Galen opted, in the end, to ignore her altogether, leading them past the door – which snapped open automatically – and following the curve around to the rear of the ship. "Sleeping quarters." He paused as if to let the information sink in and then headed back the way he had come, opening the door to the training room. The circular chamber was the largest room within the ship, which also made it one of the coldest. The lights flicked lazily into life.

"What's this room for?"

"Training. You won't need to come here."

"Ah. Top secret Jedi stuff. I got you."

Closing the door again, he strode purposefully around to the cockpit, glad that the little 'tour' had almost concluded, despite the fact that it had been little more than a showing of locations. If she wanted anything more technical than that, she'd be better off asking PROXY or waiting for Juno.

"And the cockpit."

"How very informative of you." Sia jibed. "What's she outfitted with?" As she spoke, she crossed the room and dropped into the pilot's seat, casting her eyes over the displays and switches with a childlike eagerness.

"The _Rogue Shadow_ is an extremely advanced ship." PROXY helpfully took over from Galen.

Galen, still standing in the doorway, only half listened as PROXY described the ship's upgraded sensor arrays, its impressive hyperdrive and the installed cloaking device that allowed it to move almost completely unseen for limited periods of time. Having gotten used to such luxuries in a ship, Galen was quite surprised at the widening of the woman's eyes and the way she leaned forwards as if completely enraptured.

"Sounds expensive."

"Exceedingly." PROXY replied. "The ship is one of a kind."

"The Imperials must have been so angry when they lost this ship." She declared. "Could we go down to the engine room?" She asked and though it was directed at PROXY, it was Galen who answered with a firm: "No."

Sia's head snapped around, her expression shifting into a pout – though it was there only briefly. "Why not?"

"Just because you're joining us on a mission doesn't grant you immediate access to the whole of the ship. You're here to do your job and, ironically, that doesn't include piloting."

She huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and swiveled the chair back to face PROXY. "Can I ask about the armament, then?"

PROXY glanced warily over at Galen who gave him a short nod of permission and turned away from the cockpit to leave them to it. He hated all this waiting around. Six days. Six days! What was he supposed to do until then? Already he could feel himself growing rife with impatience. Why was he being kept here doing nothing when he could have been searching for the dark clone? There was no major disaster impending, nothing that would require his aid. Could he not have been granted leave to track him down or attempt to learn more?

He reached the top of the loading ramp and looked out across the deck; his eyes instantly falling on Juno as she returned to the ship. Beside her was the Zabrak, Ja-Ran and behind them was a small team comprising of seven engineers. They'd most likely work in shifts to get everything done in time but at least the work was being prioritized.

Galen wasn't even sure that the ship was in all that bad a shape. Perhaps the mechanic could see things that he couldn't? It still flew and the cannons still fired. If that was the case, was it really an issue if it wasn't as unblemished and beautiful as it had once been? Idly, he reached up to rest his hand against the doorway, as if to comfort the ship from the earlier scrutiny.

The Zabrak and his team trampled up the ramp and passed him by without even casting him a look.

Juno, however, did stop, smiling up at him expectantly. "How did it go?"

"I left the details to PROXY."

"Ah, I see." She looked knowingly at him. "Give her a chance, okay?"

He changed the subject. "What exactly are we going to be doing until we leave for Nar Shaddaa?"

"Raring to go already?" She touched his arm and offered him a warmer smile. "I've got to stick around here for today at least, just to see that everything is getting underway. I don't see any reason why you couldn't take some shore leave, though. Maybe take a shuttle down to Corellia?"

"And do _what_, exactly?"

She laughed. "Anything. Just don't go causing trouble and you'll be fine."

"I never actually intend to cause trouble."

"Hmm-mm." She arched a brow at him and then laughed again. "I know, I know. It just seems to find you." She cast a brief look around to make sure no one was looking and then reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Whatever you do, have fun."

"Master." PROXY appeared at that very moment. "Flight Officer Sia is still insistent on going to the engine room. Would you like me to vacate her from the ship?"

Juno gave an exasperated sigh. "You are both as bad as one another. Go on, you two. Go." She gave them both a shove down the loading ramp and then she was gone.

"Where are we going, Master?"

"Corellia." He replied after a moment. "Apparently."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 11th March**


	26. Normality

****IMPORTANT** - If you read the last chapter (25) on the date it was published, you may have read a version with a scene missing (Sia's introduction). That scene has now been edited in.**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Force Unleashed.<strong>

**Note: When I said 11th...I meant the 10th. Thanks again to reviewers/readers and subscribers alike. And, as always, a big thank you to Liisiko for all her help with this chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 26 - Normality<strong>

**Location: Corellia / Corellian Shipyard**

* * *

><p>In the end, it turned out that Galen couldn't take a shuttle down to Corellia until the following day; the demand for shuttle space understandably great.<p>

The journey felt longer than it actually was, mainly due to how uncomfortable it was; the ship stuffy and crammed with people. He spent much of the time dozing in his seat, as did most others around him. Then, as the planet neared, conversation began to pick up all around him, stirring him into a state of semi-wakefulness. Out of uniform, he couldn't tell what the others around him did for work, but they'd clearly been away from home for a while, now excited to get back and be with their families.

They, at least, had a real reason to put up with the heat and the uncomfortable chairs.

Struggling out of his seat – his legs having also gone to sleep – Galen left them all to their conversations and moved back out into the open areas where those who had been unfortunate enough not to find a seat stood – along with a large gathering of droids who had accompanied their masters to the planet's surface.

PROXY found him a moment later.

"How long left, PROX?"

"Twenty minutes…approximately."

"I'm beginning to think we should never have left the ship. What was Juno thinking? Why did I even agree to this?" He frowned, leaning back against a supporting wall and flicking his eyes out across the crowds.

PROXY turned to look at him. "We've not even arrived yet, Master. Besides, I don't think the captain was giving you a choice in the matter."

"No." He agreed. "She wasn't."

"Perhaps, Master, you should have chosen a less strong-willed female."

Galen gave the droid a look that said, quite clearly, that the very idea of choosing any other 'female' over Juno was absolutely ludicrous.

Still, as the shuttle came to land and the crowds began to file out of the impressive spaceport, he couldn't help but feel the overwhelming sense of being lost; the lack of direction more than a little disturbing. He paused to gather his thoughts, only to find an angry crowd of people being held up behind him. Hastily, he stepped to the side of the main walkway to let them by. PROXY, unaffected, followed his master's lead, standing patiently next to him.

So…what now?

There was no job to complete. No target to take down. No orders at all except the one from Juno telling him to take some shore leave. But for what purpose? He didn't need anything that this city could offer, did he?

More people pushed past him, shoving him further to the side and, after another pause, he allowed himself to be carried along with the other arrivals. He didn't exactly have a plan, anyway. Perhaps it was better to 'go with the flow', so to speak.

"You've not been to Coronet before, have you, Master?" PROXY asked, the droid hastening to keep up.

"No. Not here." He'd been to Corellia before, of course, but not to this particular city. "Never had any reason to. Cities are all the same anyway, aren't they?"

"Not at all." PROXY seemed both disappointed in his master's narrow viewpoint and excited at the prospect of enlightening him. "You may find Coronet to be quite unlike any other city you've been to before."

Galen rolled his eyes, casting a look around him. "It's just as overcrowded and noisy as any other place."

"Not so." The droid replied. "I can share some information I have, if you like?"

"Save it for later."

By now, the mass of crowds had begun to divide, filing off down into different sectors of the city. Ever decisive, he took the central route; a wide walkway that sloped down between a throng of tall and impressive buildings. Unlike Nar Shaddaa – or many other cities he had been to – this place seemed clean, the buildings lit up and extravagantly designed. Above the towering spires, the skylanes hummed with activity and beyond them the sky was a deep, impenetrable blue.

Okay. So maybe walking around for a while wouldn't be _too_ bad.

Further along the main boulevard - the trees casting a dappled shade across the ground - merchants were out on the streets, encouraging people to buy their wares. One woman, with an elaborate green decoration pinned in her hair was selling jewellery that was equally as decorative, her high, chiming voice working well at drawing the eye. Across from her stall, a large, open-fronted cantina was brimming with customers, the sounds of their chatter and laughter flowing out into the street.

This city was different. It felt…safe. Though how safe it truly was, Galen couldn't say. Without even meaning to he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of something darker lurking beneath the surface.

"Is there a plan, Master?"

"A plan?"

The droid paused as if to collect his thoughts. "Surely there must be some reason—"

"—No." Galen interrupted. "There really isn't."

"Then perhaps I could make some suggestions?"

Just in front of them a pair of Selonians hefted a crate of produce between them, their greater height making them near impossible to miss. The sight of them brought only bad memories; memories that Galen hastily retreated from.

Failure. Defeat. Death.

"Master?"

He snapped his gaze forcefully back to the droid and mumbled an apology. "What were you saying?"

"I have some possible tourist recommendations I could share with you."

Galen almost laughed. "I'm not a tourist, PROXY."

"Technically speaking, Master, that's exactly what you are."

"Okay, look, just lead the way and I'll follow."

After another moment of silent walking, the droid picked up the conversation again. "You don't seem yourself, Master. If you excuse me for saying so: perhaps your repairs were insufficient?"

"Do you think we've done the right thing, PROXY?"

"I do not think I can tell you that, Master. But everyone needs to answer to someone. Better it to be the Alliance than Vader?"

"And what if it was neither?" He grumbled under his breath. He hadn't expected to get much else out of a droid, whose very purpose was to serve.

That wasn't the only thing preying on his mind, though. The other thing bothering him was the fact that having a new crew member meant that he and Juno now had to keep their relationship strictly 'professional'. The only thing that had consoled him was that she had been as equally upset about the whole situation. He could understand the reasoning but that didn't mean he was happy about it. But happy or not, he wasn't about to stir up any more trouble for her. She'd been through enough already.

Oh, he supposed he ought to tell PROXY about that, too.

"PROXY. About me and Juno."

The droid turned his head to look at him.

"That Sia woman can't know that we're…well, you know…"

"Romantically involved?"

Galen made a face. "Yeah. That."

"No need to worry, Master. The captain has already spoken to me about it. The flight officer will not hear it from me."

They reached the end of the main road and PROXY led them down a flight of sweeping, elegant stairs that wound down past a leisure complex. Close by, a group of youngsters burst into amused laughter. They were younger than him, perhaps around sixteen years of age with untroubled faces and eyes that knew nothing of pain. Galen found it hard to believe that such people could exist, even young people like them. How could people achieve such tranquility in a time when there was so much war and fear and death? Did they choose to ignore it or did they know nothing of what went on outside of their homeland?

He wanted to ask someone, but he didn't think PROXY would be able to give him a satisfactory answer.

Instead, he asked: "What exactly do…normal people do?"

"I'm not sure I understand your question, Master."

They passed under an elaborate, arching gateway and into a courtyard that separated three impressive looking apartment buildings. Each towered so high that looking up at them made Galen feel slightly dizzy. At the very center of the courtyard was a bronze-colored fountain, a gout of water shooting up from the gaping mouth of a coiled sea serpent. The carving was so exquisitely detailed that it looked as if it might come to life at any moment.

"What I mean, is…whilst we're all out fighting for the galaxy, what does the rest of the galaxy do? All these people that just..." He paused. "What do they do?"

"Civilian life consists of many things: work, education, raising families – to name but a few." PROXY replied, leading them around the edge of the fountain and into a narrow walkway that opened out into another complex of impressive buildings; the road curving upwards in a gentle spiral. "There are an extensive amount of occupations one can have, Master, though they vary from place to place. On Corellia, the dominant workforce revolves around ship building and maintenance."

"So they all have someone to answer to as well?"

"Correct. Or…mostly correct."

For the first time, Galen dared to think of what the galaxy would be like if the war were to come to an end and the Rebels emerged victorious. What would that future hold for him? Would the Jedi Order return? What would he do if it did? He certainly had no intention of joining them or befriending any cowardly Jedi who had chosen to run and hide instead of confronting their enemy. But if his future was not with other Force-users, what was it? Could he choose to become a civilian? Would that life be better? Did he have any other skills to use in non-military employment? Could he even learn? Would he be happier?

He didn't have the answers to any of those questions.

No one did.

* * *

><p>"What are you still doing here?" Sia asked as she slumped into a chair on the opposite side of the desk.<p>

Juno glanced up from her work looking slightly frazzled. Ja-Ran Leed was proving quite the task master and the list of jobs he had given her to do to aid him in getting the _Rogue Shadow_ fit and ready for service had been…daunting, to say the least. Currently, she was trying to identify and compare data between the _Rogue Shadow_ before and after the additions Kota had made on the ship and whether they had hampered more than helped.

"Working. There's a lot to do."

"Doing what, exactly?" The woman was clearly bored, slumped across the desk, chin cradled in her palm.

With a small sigh, Juno twisted the display around so that Sia could see. The woman's dark eyes flicked from side to side as she scanned the report.

"Wait? Isn't it his assistant's job to do this?"

"Have you seen the poor kid?" Juno asked. "That Ja-Ran's got him running all over the place."

"Okay. Listen. You finish up here real quick and I'll let you come with me to Corellia, hm?"

"I was planning to head down to Coronet later on today to meet with Starkiller and PROXY."

"Well then, it won't hurt to leave a little earlier and come shopping with me beforehand. I need to buy something pretty for our assignment in Nar Shaddaa. I'm betting you do as well, right?"

"Something pretty?" Juno shook her head. "No. I'm not going to be down on the ground. I'll be monitoring from the ship. There's no need."

"Don't be ridiculous. There's always a need. A woman does not require a reason to buy something pretty. Besides, even if you don't need it for this mission, you might need it for something else."

"Like…?"

"Our celebration party when the mission goes off without a hitch." The woman smiled widely. "Come on, you know you want to. If we get moving in half an hour we can be down on Coronet and hit the shops before they close."

"I really should—"

"Come on, Eclipse. I'm not going to take no for an answer."

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll just finish up here and meet you down by the shuttle."

"Excellent." Sia clapped her hands together, already turning to depart. "Bay seventeen! Don't forget!"

Juno sighed, checked the time, and wondered how much more she could get done before she had to meet with her new team member. Certainly not enough to get everything done and track down the assistant, Kito, to let him know how far she had gotten.

She spent the next five minutes finishing off her current compilation of data on upgraded wing panels and then went in search of the assistant to update and handover. The guilt of dumping him with even more work whilst she abandoned her post to do something totally unnecessary slowed her pace.

In the end, she was forced to run to make it to the shuttle on time.

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think? I need an honest opinion." Sia turned this way and that in front of the full length mirror, the vibrant green dress she was wearing flowing loosely around her ankles. It was perhaps the fourth or fifth dress she had tried on in this store alone.<p>

Juno tried her best to look fully engaged, but it was getting harder by the moment. "It's very nice. The color suits you." And to be fair, it did look good. It fitted Sia's stocky build perfectly; the bodice embroidered with a shimmering, silvery thread.

"I can't decide." She replied. "I think this one is nicer but then I'll have the issue with finding the right pair of shoes."

Juno sagged back against the chair she had taken up residence in and tried not to keep checking the time. At this rate she was going to end up being late for meeting with Galen and then he'd be in a foul mood, too. Shore leave was seriously overrated.

"Come on, Juno. You haven't tried anything on yet. There's so much here, there's bound to be something that you like. Get one of the ladies to help you, if you want."

The shop assistant, who had been attempting to help Sia, was looking just as bored as Juno – though she brightened a little at the idea of helping someone who might be more decisive.

"No. No, that's quite alright." Juno could already feel herself getting flustered at the very idea of it.

"Please, Juno. Just try on one dress? One_ little_ dress? You never know. You might actually have fun!"

"I'll take a look at them." Juno replied, deciding to meet her half way when it was clear she wasn't going to give up. Getting to her feet she moved across to one of the rails and idly began to search through. Outside the sky was darkening and she wondered what Galen had spent his day doing. Had he found something to do? Was he managing to relax? Whatever he was up to, she just hoped that he was having a better time than she was.

She paused in thought, looking down at the dress that had found its way into her hands. The fabric was soft to the touch but not as shimmering and vibrant as the ones Sia had picked out for herself.

Appearing at her side, the shop assistant smiled helpfully across at her. "Would you like to try that one on, honey?"

"I…uh…" She faltered. Could it really hurt? She wasn't obliged to buy it and it would probably look awful anyway. "I suppose I could try it."

Sia, who had moved to try on some shoes, threw her a wide grin. The flight officer clearly enjoyed it when a 'plan' came together.

* * *

><p>"She's late." Galen complained, tilting his near-empty glass to peer at the remains. "Where is she?"<p>

"Perhaps she got waylaid?"

He gave a sigh and cast a long look down the street. They were sat outside, partially hidden by some huge, leafy pot plant. As daylight faded, a distinct chill invaded the air. Galen had closed up the fastenings on his jacket. PROXY – unaffected by the change in temperature – seemed quite happy to wait for as long as it took.

He finished his drink, set it down against the table and considered his next options. Either he sat there and waited or he attempted to go and find her – though where she could possibly be, he had no idea. Perhaps she'd just got caught back at work and lost track of time?

Setting his hands against the table, he pushed himself up to his feet and was surprised at the wave of light-headedness that followed. Steadying himself, he glared down at the empty glass on the table as if looking to place blame.

"PROXY, how many of those have I had?"

"Too many, if you need to ask that question, Master. The alcoholic content must be greater than what you are accustomed to."

He growled. "Perfect."

Defeated, Galen dropped back down into his chair and resigned himself to waiting. A waitress came and collected his glass but he turned down any offer for further drinks. He didn't like the lack of control that came with being drunk. How Kota had ever found any comfort in it, he didn't know. Perhaps he never had.

"I do believe that's them coming now, Master."

"Them?"

He lifted his head and what should have been a feeling of relief and joy was tainted by the fact that Juno wasn't alone. The Sia woman was with her.

"I'm so sorry." Juno called out to him as she moved around the table to take a seat next to him. "We got caught up."

"My fault." Sia explained, holding up her shopping bags to show him. "But we're here now. Shall I get the drinks in?" Her eyes touched over their faces, seeking their responses.

"Uh, yes please."

"Starkiller?"

"No. Not for me."

As Sia moved into the cantina, Juno leaned closer to him and smiled knowingly. "You've been drinking already."

"I had to do something whilst I waited."

"I'm sorry." She said again. "I couldn't get her to hurry up."

"Why'd you bring her with you?"

"I could hardly turn her away, could I? Besides, she's not all _that_ bad."

He wanted to tell her that it didn't matter whether Sia was nice or not. With her there they couldn't let up on their 'just friends' façade and he felt strangely needy for some affection after his rather weird day. She found his hand under the table and held onto it fast.

"You're cold." He replied, squeezing her fingers.

"The temperature's dropped. Why are we sitting out here?"

He indicated the sign above the door that read in bold, clear letters: 'NO DROIDS'

"Ah."

"I did inform him that I didn't mind waiting outside." PROXY added.

"So what did you two get up to? No trouble, I take it?" Juno asked.

"No trouble at all. We took some time to explore the city. I had to explain to the master that not every city was alike. I think I was successful in convincing him."

"Of course they're not." Sia interrupted as she swept back up to the table and set the drinks down. "I love cities, especially ones like this. Could you imagine living out in the middle of nowhere?" She shook her head, lifting her drink to take a sip. "How boring would that be?"

"It's a different pace of life, I suppose." Juno shrugged, thanking her for the drink.

"So." Sia fixed her gaze on Galen. "Did Juno tell you what we have been spending the last couple of hours doing?"

"Losing track of time?" He answered sarcastically.

"Ha! No…well, yes. That, too, I guess." She grinned. "We went shopping."

Galen looked confused; as if he were missing the point of why she was even speaking about it.

"For things we'll need for our mission." Sia elaborated.

"Something that the Alliance couldn't provide?" He blinked, not sure what they might possibly need that couldn't be provided for them. Sia's burst of laughter had him gritting his teeth in frustration. She was much too loud.

"We weren't buying weapons!"

He glowered at her. "Whatever."

"You aren't curious? Not at all?"

"I can safely say that I'm not."

"Ah well, I guess you'll find out soon enough." She nudged Juno with her elbow as if to include her in the joke. The blonde pilot shuffled awkwardly in her chair and Galen's eyes snapped questioningly to her. Wait. Was she…blushing? Or was he just imagining things?

Okay, so now he was a little curious.

"Will we make it back to the starport in time for the next shuttle?" Juno asked.

"Well I don't know about you, but I don't intend on going back until tomorrow morning."

"I should really get back and see how the repairs are going…"

"And give up the chance of spending a night in a comfortable bed without the sounds of maintenance work and the smell of oil?" Sia made a face. "Don't you ever get homesick?"

"Corellia isn't our home." Juno pointed out.

"No, but…just the normality of being on a planet instead of a ship? The sun? The fresh air?"

"Honestly?" Juno asked, looking mildly worried. "No. Not at all."

"And you?" Sia asked, turning her eyes on Galen.

Perhaps if he hadn't felt so fuzzy headed from the alcohol, he would have replied with silence or a sharp: 'mind your own business'. As it was, the question only stirred up memories of his earlier inner debate. What was normal and could he ever fit into that world?

"This isn't normal for me."

Juno's hand tightened against his but he didn't look her way.

* * *

><p>Juno was wide awake; lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling of the tiny hotel room she had found herself in. Truth be told, she would much rather have just forgone the overnight stay and made the trip back to the ship.<p>

She'd have gotten a much better night's sleep if she had.

The walls were thin enough that she could hear Sia snoring in the neighboring room. Clearly she was not having any issues with sleeping in these annoying, overly soft beds. Growing frustrated, Juno kicked off the sheets and pushed herself up onto her feet, running her hands through her already tousled hair. If she couldn't sleep, perhaps she should try to work? No. No good. She'd left her datapad back in the ship. Maybe she could...no. No. That wasn't a good idea. She couldn't sneak across the hall to Galen's room now. She was a grown woman. Not a teenager. Besides…he was probably asleep…maybe. But what if he wasn't? What if he was pacing, too? Would he mind if she dropped by to check up on him? Would it be possible to do that without getting caught?

Even as she debated, her hand was reaching for the door handle. It would be fine. Of course it would. Sia was sleeping and there was nothing wrong in checking up on a 'friend'.

Right?

Right.

She grabbed her jacket as she opened the door and almost had a heart attack as she realised someone was standing just outside her room. She muffled a cry of surprise as she realized, after a split second, who it was standing there.

"Galen!" She winced at the volume of her own voice, reminding herself that sound traveled.

"Uh, sorry."

"You almost scared the life out of me. What's wrong?"

"I, uh, I couldn't sleep." He admitted, looking slightly sheepish standing there in his rumpled shirt, his eyes glazed. Then his line of sight fell to the jacket hanging in her hand. The corner of his mouth twitched up in the beginnings of an amused smile and he added: "Going somewhere?"

Instant relief had flooded through her at the sight of him and, without warning, she threw herself at him, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. He leaned into her, responding with equal fervor and a swell of heat filled her chest.

Without breaking from him, she dragged him into the room, turning them around so that she could close the door behind them. His hands came up to run through her hair and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, forgoing breathing for as long as she could just to prolong the attachment between them.

Light-headed, she broke apart from him momentarily, nuzzling her face in against his neck and murmured softly: "Couldn't sleep either."

And then they were kissing again, edging across the room until the back of Galen's knees hit the side of the bed. Juno gave him a playful shove and he fell back against the mattress, leaving himself open for a further 'attack'. With a somewhat wicked smirk, she straddled him, pinning him there beneath her. The pulse in his neck fluttered beneath the touch of her lips and he growled low in his throat, pulling her harder against him.

Juno drew back for breath, the tips of her hair brushing against the side of his face. "We'll have to be quiet." She warned, tilting her head towards the wall. And, as if on cue, another loud snore emanated from the room beside theirs.

He smirked up at her – accepting the challenge – and, with his hands on her waist, attempted to dislodge her from her position. This time, however, she held fast, refusing to budge; her knees pressing into the mattress on either side of his hips.

"Not today." She chided gently. "You can follow my lead this time." And she leaned forward to kiss him again, her fingers tightening their hold on his shoulders to enforce her point.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 24th March**


	27. Guidance

**Disclaimer: I do not, and will not ever, own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: On with the plot! Thanks to reviewers. readers and subscribers alike! Another big thank you to my beta Liisiko, also.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 27 - Guidance<strong>

**Location: Corellian Shipyard / Teyr**

* * *

><p>"You ever ridden one of these before, kid?" The greasy mechanic asked. He was a short man; round and pug-faced with arms as thick around as Galen's waist. He tapped the handle of the swoop bike and glared up at him as if expecting to find the answer written there on his face.<p>

"Short answer: no."

The man gave a loud, displeased snort. "Let's hope you're a quick learner then." He jabbed a thumb down at the seat. "Sit."

Galen did as he was told without a single word, trying to get comfortable, which – he soon discovered – was practically impossible. The swoop bike was clearly an old, beat-up model that should have been dumped long ago. A huge dent in the bodywork told of a bad crash in its past. He wondered if the rider had survived it.

"Please tell me I'll get something better on Nar Shaddaa."

The man's heavy brow lowered over his eyes, clearly displeased with Galen's remark. "If you mean faster, then yeah, you will. Figured you wanted practice first, though, yeah? Else you'll end up dead. Professionals die all the time, kid, so shut up and pay attention. I've only got an afternoon to teach you everything you need to know."

Galen bristled but set his jaw to keep himself from saying anything else that would only prolong the lesson. Besides, the man had a point. If he messed this up he _could_ end up dead. It was almost like his childhood lessons, except back then, instead of a quick death (as it would be if he crashed the bike) it had been the threat of prolonged, agonizing pain.

Why were his lessons never easy? If he failed, there was no: 'Oh dear, never mind, it's no big deal. Just get up and try again.'

His mood darkened. No. When he failed, people tended to die. Good people. There were no second chances.

"Are you listening?"

He snapped back to attention and met the mechanic's eyes.

"Okay. First off, you need to know what does what."

As the mechanic began to explain the process of operating a swoop, Galen couldn't help but think that it seemed relatively simple. If it was operating at a slower rate it would no doubt be a breeze. However, as he listened, he quickly arrived at the conclusion that it was the high speeds that made things difficult—well, mostly.

As the speed increased, steering became difficult, sharp turns easily throwing a bike out of control. Many of the modified racers lacked any brake system at all so as to make them lighter and faster. No brakes meant high speed collisions and that, of course, usually meant death.

"You've got two hand levers." The mechanic explained, pointing to each of them in turn. "One here. And one here. That one there is the accelerator. The other is your brake. Just bear in mind that most of the time the racing models don't have brakes."

"So how exactly do I slow down?"

"Take your hand off the accelerator." The man replied in a tone that suggested the answer was obvious. "Without that they do slow down relatively quickly." He shifted to one side and lifted a huge arm to point down to the other side of the lengthy shipyard. "Take it for some trial runs. This bike doesn't go faster than one hundred kilometres per hour. You know what that means?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer. "It means it's slow. Some of these swoops can go over six hundred. I'll leave you to figure out just how fast that is."

Galen fixed him with a bored stare. "So… I can try it out now?"

The mechanic took a few steps back and gave a curt nod.

Trying not to look as if he was looking forward to this, Galen started up the bike and felt the rise of the repulsorlifts fixed beneath. His fingers squeezed the accelerator and the swoop bucked forwards like a startled Ronto, giving a few unhealthy coughing sounds. A moment later, much to Galen's relief, the shaky start smoothed out, accelerating with a surprising swiftness.

After a few circuits, the mechanic called him back in. "Don't look too smug. You didn't do all that great. We've still got two more areas to cover before the day is out."

"Well, if they're all as quick as the first, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Don't kid yourself. That was the most basic tutorial I've ever given. Want the full version? Well, cancel everything you've got planned for the next couple of weeks."

"As exciting as that sounds, I'll have to decline."

"Right, so let's get a move on, shall we? Next we'll look at posture. Swoop bikes are not comfortable and after you've been in a few races, you'll likely feel the toll of it. The trick is to relax but doing that is easier said than done."

"And the last?"

"Gaining the edge over your opponents. They tell me you have that Force thing to help. Well, I have no idea how that works, but I can teach you some ways to shift the balance in your favor by using the bike well." He gave a low grunt. "Right, let's start with something relatively simple."

* * *

><p>The Apprentice was somewhere cold and dark, his wrists shackled so tight that his hands tingled from the restricted circulation. The wall against his back felt damp, carrying a chill that lingered in his chest, making breathing strangely difficult. He coughed to try and clear his lungs but it was to no avail. The chain binding his hands clinked softly, almost masking the sound of a stone skittering against the floor. It drew his attention; looking up to see a dark swish of movement only a few paces away. A curtain…? No. Not a curtain. A cape. There was more movement and the clone could just about see a dark figure shifting against the shadowy backdrop.<p>

For a terrible moment he thought it was Vader looming over him, until he realized that there was no horrible, grating breath. The stature was all wrong, too: too short and the shoulders not broad enough. The figure didn't move towards him either.

"Who are you?" The clone asked, trying to keep his tone steely. "Where am I?"

The figure remained standing silently in place; motionless except for the slight rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed. The hood of his cape was so deep that it shadowed his face entirely.

The dark clone shifted again and his shackles clinked sharply together, reminding him of his current predicament—his vulnerability. He tried to concentrate, tried to remember what had happened to him before he had blacked out. Had he been beaten in battle? Had there not been someone with him? The more he tried to think the more his head ached and, after a moment, he gave up trying altogether.

He looked up at the figure and glowered. "If you're here to kill me, you had best get on with it."

The reaction was immediate; a deep, throaty laugh that echoed unnaturally all around them. The echoes seemed to go on forever and ever, unwilling to be forgotten. Unwilling to fade. And even when the figure knelt and spoke, the clone could still hear that echo as a faint ringing in the back of his head.

"I have not come to kill you."

The dark clone jerked his arms more forcefully, as if attempting to break the shackles with brute strength alone. The Force, strangely, appeared to be eluding him.

The laugh came again, driving through him with flashes of vibrant pain, joining with the earlier echoes still repeating over and over and over. "I am merely an observer."

"Then happily observe as I end your life." The dark clone hissed, trying to get himself to his feet.

The figure loomed closer still, but the darkness still masked the features beneath that hood. "I would like to see you try." With a sweep of his hand, he unshackled the clone; beckoning for him to stand. "Show me your superiority, dark clone. Sate my curiosity."

With all the unrestrained rage of an unbound animal, the clone got his legs under him and lunged.

There was a blinding light and then he struck the floor. Hard. And, when he opened his eyes, it was not a floor of cold, damp stone, but smooth pale-grey panels that reeked of disinfectant. He blinked, almost blinded by the glare of the harsh lights and then coughed violently, arching his back to try and clear his lungs. In the same movement he tried to gather himself to stand, hearing the sharp crack of broken fragments – brittle and sharp – beneath him.

He could still hear the echo of that laughter in the back of his mind and then a high-pitched cry of shock—somewhere to his right—dominated his senses.

He jerked to his feet and staggered back, aware of the splash-crack of his feet on the floor. The clone cast a disorientated look around him but the room seemed to contain nothing more than vibrant white walls. He twisted, landing back on his knees and then there were voices; startled and panicked.

He pushed himself up onto his feet again and whirled to face them, preparing to defend himself. Five men and women flooded into the room, their pale faces seeming almost as white as the walls. Their uniforms were white, too. That crisp, pristine white that reminded him of the lab coats of scientists.

Scientists…

They were talking at him, one pair of hands reaching towards him. He staggered back and, with a roar of rage, sent a wave of Force that knocked them all toppling to the floor. Some groaned and attempted to get up. Others were motionless. Badly wounded. Dead, maybe. He sneered at their weakness, at how easily they were broken.

In front of him, a pair of large doors snapped open revealing a wide-eyed, nervous looking Cerean. The clone lifted his arm to lash out with a strike that would have sent him sprawling when a bolt of memory flashed through him; stalling him.

A Cerean?

The alien's worried expression seemed to increase; his hands lifting up in a gesture that was probably supposed to be comforting. "You—you're awake!" His eyes flashed across the room, completing a quick scan of the area and a moment later, his face fell. "Oh dear, what have you done? You can't have been awake long and you're already causing trouble. This place is a mess."

"What the hell is going on?" The apprentice snarled, his lungs still aching, drawing him into another violent coughing fit. Still gasping, he added: "Where are we?"

"Calm down." The Cerean replied hastily. "We're in a hospital." He gestured at the clone who peered down to find himself mostly bare, wearing nothing more than a pair of white shorts. "You've been in a bacta tank to heal for the past couple of days."

"No…" He started, lifting a hand to touch the pink lines of almost healed wounds in his sides. "That can't be…where is the robed man?" He blinked. "Where is he?"

"Robed man?"

The clone gritted his teeth. He could still hear the laughter in his head. The Cerean, who clearly read anger in the clone's face, took a short step back.

"He was right here!"

"A doctor?"

"Where are my things?" The clone snapped, abruptly changing the subject. He cast his eyes about angrily, noting the badly damaged bacta tank.

"I have them."

"Where?"

"They're safe. _Please_, keep your voice down. Shouting won't help." The Cerean bounded nervously across the room and dragged a gown off of a hook. Like everything else in the room, it was horrible, clinical white. "Here, put this on." He shoved the offensive garment at the Apprentice and then hastened back to the door to check to see whether the coast was clear.

Still coughing, the Apprentice shrugged into the gown and tied it at the waist.

He needed to get out of the room. The sweet scent of the spilled bacta seemed to be growing stronger by the minute, clogging his senses and suffocating in its toxicity.

And then, suddenly, the Cerean gave a nervous exclamation and the Apprentice drew to a halt a couple of steps behind him.

"Is there some sort of problem here, Alin-Fa-Liir?"

It took a moment for the Apprentice to realize that 'Alin-Fa-Liir' was the Cerean's name.

"Oh, no. No. It's all fine. No problem here." The Cerean was many things, but a good liar, he was not.

"Then would you mind moving? I've got some things I need to do."

"Oh, uh, could I…trouble you for just a minute?" The Cerean took a step forwards, though was careful to keep in the doorway. "It won't take too long."

"I'm sorry, but I have—"

The clone snapped forwards impatiently, grabbing the Cerean by the shoulder and shoving him rudely out of the way. The man who he had been speaking with straightened in surprise, his brows hiking. He clearly had not expected the badly wounded patient to be awake so soon.

"What are you doing up and about?" And then his surprise turned to suspicion and he gave a sharp inhale, clearly having caught the scent of bacta flowing out of the room. With surprising vehemence, he pushed past them, freezing on the spot as he absorbed the scene of devastation before him.

The bacta tank had smashed from the clone's somewhat violent wake-up call, the facemask dangling, pieces of broken tank sparkling on the floor.

"How…how did this happen?" The doctor whirled to face them both, his expression barely able to contain its fury. "I don't know what's going on here, but someone needs to be held responsible. Equipment like this does not come cheap. This patient is your charge, Alin. Compensation will be expected."

"You're right." The Apprentice replied, curling a lip in distaste. "This does need to be dealt with." And with no outward sign at all, the clone twisted the Force into the doctor's mind, driving horror and fear and madness into his thoughts. The doctor's face transformed instantaneously; eyes bulging, skin paling. Then, a moment later and the pain struck him with crippling intensity. He staggered away in horror until he was pressed against the wall, gibbering terrified nonsense.

"What did you do? Stop it!" The Cerean ordered, though his demand sounded somewhat weak.

The clone's eyes snapped back to the scientist and narrowed dangerously. "Show me to my things, Cerean, or you'll be next." There was a sudden movement in the corner of his eye; a swish of dark robes accompanied by a faint echo of laughter. He whirled to defend himself only to see nothing there but stark, white walls.

His mind playing tricks on him?

Erupting into another fit of coughing, the Apprentice turned from the room and stepped out into the corridor, giving the Cerean a hard shove when he paused to glance back. He just needed to get as far away from this place as possible.

The laughter still echoed.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing in my chair?"<p>

Juno looked across at Galen; hiding a small smile behind her hand. He was standing in the entrance of the cockpit, glaring across at Sia who was sitting in the co-pilot chair. And Sia, in turn, had shifted to look at him, all bright-eyed innocence. Unlike Juno, however, Sia didn't bother to hide her amusement from him.

"Surprise!" She chimed teasingly. "What's wrong? I'm your new co-pilot, remember? This is the co-pilot chair, isn't it?" She leaned backwards, arching a questioning brow at Juno.

"It's my chair." Galen snapped. "This is my ship."

Juno cleared her throat.

"_Our_ ship." He hastily amended.

"Technically speaking, isn't it the Alliance's ship?" Sia poked good-naturedly.

Galen's steely gaze only darkened further. "Who the ship belongs to doesn't come into it. Anyway, you're not here to play pilot. You're here to spy on Imperials."

Sia, with a small shrug, hopped out from the chair and stepped aside. "Fine. Fine. Sit there, then. I'll go keep the droid company. He probably has a better sense of humor, anyway."

PROXY turned his head to regard the woman. "On the contrary. I find your species' humor to be rather incognizable."

"See?" Sia slapped the droid on a shoulder. "What did I say? Such wit for a droid!"

Now even PROXY was starting to look harassed.

Galen, still looking chagrined, dropped into his chair and cast Juno a brief look. There was no need for words when she could understand that expression so clearly. He was uncomfortable with having someone else with them, particularly someone as outspoken and blunt as the flight officer was. He was not happy having someone intruding on what had been theirs. Likely, he was also unhappy with having another life to be responsible for.

Juno wanted to remind him that this was not going to be a particularly dangerous mission, especially in comparison to what they were normally involved in. This was probably nothing more than a test by the senators to see how they got on with obeying orders. She also wanted to tell him that being surrounded by different kinds of people would be good for him and that they could have ended up with someone a lot worse. Someone like Lieutenant Hayes, for instance. Juno felt her blood boil just thinking about that woman.

"Your co-ordinates look good, Captain." Sia called out. "By my calculations, we should reach Hutt space by thirteen hundred hours – local time. That'll give us plenty of time to get ourselves organized."

"That's the plan." Juno replied. She never made mistakes, not when it came to navigating and she was not about to start now. She was good with detail. She always had been and she prided herself on it.

Giving the data on the displays one last look over, she flicked a series of switches on the control panel above her head and powered up the engines. The reverberation juddered through the ship like the stirring of a dragon after a long slumber.

Over the com-link, the confirmation came: "_Rogue Shadow_, you are now clear for take off."

More eager than she outwardly showed, Juno – quite effortlessly – guided the ship out of the docking bay and up into open expanse. Her palm dropped down to cradle the accelerator paddle and seamlessly drove it forwards, feeling the shift of pressure and the comforting weight of acceleration on her chest.

The ship felt eager and fresh; responding to each tiny shift with an enthusiasm that told Juno the recent repairs had truly made a difference. For a while now, the ship had felt sluggish and old, the damage to the wings and the bodywork all affecting the handling and the increase of velocity; further hindered by quick repair jobs. The Corellian mechanics had certainly given the ship a new lease of life.

And then the darkness of space opened its arms and the ship sailed leisurely for a moment, gifting them with a beautiful view of the planet turning steadily below. A planet teeming with life, natural beauty and culture. And then, with one last check, Juno sent the ship surging into hyperspace.

* * *

><p>The Cerean's nerves were fraught as they navigated their way down out of the complex structure of the hospital building. Only once did he dare to pause and consider their route, only to have the clone shoving him roughly and ordering: 'get us out of here' in a tone that was…most unkind. That, in turn, earned them suspicious looks.<p>

"We need to slow down. People are beginning to stare." He forced his pace to slow and the mad man ran into his back, almost sending him flying.

"Shut your mouth and keep moving."

A strong hand gripped his shoulder and shoved him forwards. After that, he gave up trying to look 'casual'. Picking up the pace again, he led the way down half a dozen similar corridors and took the elevator down to the ground level to give him a chance to catch his breath. He was not as young as he had once been and exercise had never been his strong point. He thought, secretly, that the Sith was grateful, too. His breath still came in great, wheezing pants.

The doors snapped open in one smooth motion and closing the distance, Alin veered off to one side, trusting the Sith to follow him.

"Where are you going? The exit is that way." 'Superior' snapped, trying to divert him back.

"Your belongings are this way." Alin insisted.

They crossed the hall and through into a room with wide, sweeping doors. The room was bare except for one long bench surrounded by lockers from floor to ceiling. The scientist, patting his chest in an attempt to correct his breathing, crossed to one of the lockers and fumbled to open it.

"I managed to salvage some clothes off of the shuttle we escaped on."

"What?"

"The shuttle. You remember?"

The young Sith growled. "Of course."

"I left the droids there, too. I made sure to shut them down but…I'm worried about them. They're not the type of droids you want to leave just hanging around." The locker swung open and the clone impatiently reached in past the Cerean to gather his things. The clothes were not his own and had probably belonged to a dead crew member but they were a good enough fit – perhaps only one size too big. Alin was pleased, at least, that the boy uttered no complaint. What he didn't like, however, was the strange glow that came into his eyes when the duel sabers were clipped into place at his belt.

No, he didn't like that look at all.

Shoving away the surge of fear as best as he could, he added in a slightly worried tone of voice: "We need to take an airspeeder to the ship. But how we're going to do that without getting—"

"—Let me deal with it."

"I've seen your way of 'dealing' with things. It's not very pretty." He pointed out.

"Doing things my way kept you alive, Cerean. I'd urge you to remember that before I have second thoughts about _that_ particular decision."

"I don't know why I even brought you here." Alin huffed, his tapering brow wrinkling with concern.

"Well, why did you?"

Alin stuttered, trying to come up with a response. Thankfully, the Sith didn't seem to care much for the answer as he changed the subject with another question. One that he could answer far easier than the former.

"Where is 'here' anyway?"

"A hospital on Teyr."

"Teyr?"

"Closest place I could find to Fondor. It's safe—for now, at least."

"There's no such thing as 'safe'." The clone hissed. "Enough talk. Let's get out of here."

The Cerean felt himself grow suddenly weary. "Of course, _Superior_, follow me. We'll need to see if we can negotiate a deal to get an airspeeder to take us to the ship. I'm almost out of credits and I know you don't have any."

"Leave the negotiating to me. I can be…persuasive." His golden eyes seemed to gleam and Alin took a step back, bumping against the lockers. There was nothing good in that look and it made him wary.

"Killing people will only draw attention to us."

The Sith smiled back. "You know nothing of the Force and that, Cerean, is why you will always be an inferior being."

* * *

><p>They had managed to hire an airspeeder for free (thanks to some not-so-gentle persuasion from the Sith) and now Alin-Fa-Liir was guiding it down towards the bay where their ship was waiting for them.<p>

His thoughts wandered.

He thought, firstly, of home. Of his beautiful, beautiful Cerea with its temperate climate and expansive natural habitat. It had been almost three years since he had stepped foot there but it felt so much longer than that. It felt like a lifetime ago.

It wasn't that he'd never left the planet before. His research and profession meant that he had often taken trips off world to further his knowledge. He'd found great pleasure in it, too. He had loved seeing new places and found real enthusiasm in focusing on numerous different and difficult tasks. His life was short in comparison to a lot of sentient beings and he'd wanted to live it in the best way he possibly could. Before, however, his trips from home had been only a month here and a month there and when he returned it had been like he'd never even left.

But three years…

Beside him the Sith stirred in his seat. His face was hard and unreadable. He didn't seem calm, exactly, but he also didn't appear on the verge of a complete meltdown. Perhaps being free of pain had helped somewhat – Alin had hoped that it would, though he wasn't sure if that was just wishful thinking.

To be truthful, Alin-Fa-Liir was beginning to question why he had even stayed in Teyr. He could have dumped the Sith somewhere and taken his leave. He could even have been home right now, free of this burden. His wives would—would, what, exactly? Welcome him home with open arms? Take away all the hurt that the Imperials had impressed on him since his capture all that time ago? What was to say that they hadn't already forgotten him and moved on? It wasn't an impossible notion. It had happened to a cousin of his, after all.

Alin sighed.

What if he got home to find his beloved wives had gone their own separate ways? Found new husbands to provide for them? He couldn't blame them, exactly. Good Cerean men were hard to come by. They were shorter lived than the females and in far fewer number. It was only right that they had moved on after all this time. They probably thought he was dead.

But if they had…could he truly think of his home as home anymore? He was getting on in years now. No Cerean woman in her right mind would want to partner with him now.

And what of his children? Some had been young when he had been taken from them. What if they didn't even recognize him? The past few years had been…unkind. He wasn't even sure if he would recognize himself.

But if he didn't go home. What then?

How ironic that his greatest hope had now become his greatest fear. Every day during his imprisonment he had thought of home and used it to keep his spirits up. He'd had something to live for and conjuring memories of his family had brought him great strength. Now…now he wasn't sure about anything.

The airspeeder had started to drift and he hastily straightened course, glad that the Sith hadn't seemed to have noticed. That in itself was unusual. He seemed an observant type, particularly when it was a fault.

So, why was he here? Why was he still traveling with this unhinged man?

He supposed he was partially responsible for the Sith now. Responsible for the damage he would wreak now that he was free of imprisonment on that damned moon. He had set the monster loose and if he was not there to help prevent disaster was he not partly accountable for those lives the Sith could destroy?

He cast the young man another look and felt a shudder run down his spine. He was smiling, but it was the smile of a wolf before it bites off your head.

"You will pilot the ship for me."

"Oh yes, what a grand use of my skills!" The Cerean replied, hiding his fear behind sarcasm.

"Whilst you have purpose your life is useful."

"I know. I know. I've heard it before. If I'm useful you'll spare my life." Alin sighed, breaking away from the lane of traffic to head down towards the ship. Somehow he couldn't help but think he might be better off dead.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 7th April**


	28. Espionage

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Thank you to my reviewers, readers and the new subscribers as well. A big thanks also to go out to Liisiko, my beta for this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 28 - Espionage<strong>

**Location: Nar Shaddaa**

* * *

><p>Nar Shaddaa: one of many of the galaxy's blights – maybe not the worst, but certainly one of the top-rankers. Dirty, polluted and filled to the brim with the most unpleasant types of people. It hadn't changed at all, either.<p>

Juno doubted it ever would.

The _Rogue Shadow_, streamed with deadly elegance over the grimy cityscape that was very much the opposite of the gleaming brilliance of Coronet. The buildings sprawled below them in a chaotic, dizzying manner, interlocking and crushed together so that the walkways twisted and turned this way and that. Some looked so narrow that it would have been difficult to have had two people walking side by side. The walkways, too, were cast into shadow, lit by garish emitters that threw strange shadows across the floor and walls. The main walkways were crowded; countless different species milling back and forth in horrible, unorganized chaos.

Juno wondered whether this swoop event was going to be a similar, riotous affair. All evidence pointed towards a 'yes'. After all, who in Nar Shaddaa would turn down a chance to gamble and party the night away? Even the poor would risk every last credit they could just to try to gamble their way out of debt and poverty. She was suddenly thankful that she'd be there on the ship with PROXY whilst Sia mingled down on the ground with all the party-goers. The flight officer had been more than a little disappointed when she'd found out that Juno wouldn't be going with her. Something about a wasted opportunity to wear the pretty garment she had purchased.

Well, was bullied into purchasing, really.

Sia had taken to studying her datapad intently for the last half hour or so and Galen was just starting to get fidgety. He'd been mostly silent during the journey and whilst she didn't mind the quiet she did miss their conversing. Sia had done most of the talking for them, clearly happy to chatter away whether they were listening or not. Juno had sensed Galen's irritation but he had said nothing to stop her. A good sign, she supposed.

With a short breath, Juno began the preparations for landing, descending down to the private docking bay that had been arranged for their arrival. The wings adjusted to slow acceleration and, in the next few moments, the ship came to land, settling gently down on its landing struts. The roar of the engines quietened to a steady, warm rumble that quivered through the deck beneath their feet and Juno couldn't help but smile just a little. The ship really was something special.

They exited the ship together, Sia leading the way with her all-consuming confidence. Compared to her new team-mates, she was much shorter with a stockier build and tanned skin. Her mass of black hair had been brushed back into a tight ponytail so that it was certain to keep out of her eyes. She was dressed in rather unremarkable clothing; a dark green tank top beneath an unzipped flight jacket and some tatty looking slacks tucked into boots that stopped just short of her knees. Juno looked similar, dressed in black slacks, a white button-down shirt and flat, practical boots.

Behind them, Galen was dressed in shades of brown, the well-worn leather of his jacket soft and comfortable. A long strip of red cloth had been wound loosely around his shoulders in a scarf like manner, partially obscuring his face from view. A strip of the same fabric had been wound around each wrist, held in place by a pair of leather buckles.

Juno fancied that the three of them looked like smugglers themselves, which was the whole point, she supposed.

"Shouldn't they have been here to greet us?" Sia asked, casting a glance around them.

"We're a little early."

"Hm. Okay, hang here a sec and I'll go and see if anyone has seen them around." The flight officer didn't wait for an answer, walking hastily across the small bay to talk to three of the dock workers who had seemingly gathered for a break.

Juno cast Galen a glance. "How did swoop practice go?"

They'd barely seen each other since returning from shore leave; her dragged into helping with the last of the ship repairs and he making preparations for the mission. He didn't look nervous but then again, did he ever?

"There weren't any problems."

"That's good. I'm sure there'll be opportunities for test runs in any case. The event doesn't actually start until tomorrow but they usually have the track open so competitors can get some practice in. If we're lucky, some of them will mess up and won't be able to take part tomorrow." Although in that profession, 'messing up' generally meant death and she didn't exactly want to wish that on anyone.

"I don't think there'll be too much to worry about. I have an unfair advantage."

"With the Force, yes, but you do lack the experience."

"The life expectancy of racers seems poor enough that I can't be too outmatched in that area."

"I wouldn't bet on it." She sighed. He was ever the confident one.

Sia's voice raised in greeting and the two turned to see her hastening forwards to greet someone. Without a word they moved forward to join her, intrigued by the high-pitched voice that had begun to respond.

"Flight Officer now. Finally started getting recognized for all of my hard work. Knew it would only be a matter of time." She had knelt down to grip the hand of the small alien, clearly well-acquainted. "What about you? How have things been?"

The response was a string of high-pitched sounds. It was almost painful to listen to.

"Congratulations. I had no idea. Will you be heading back once you're done here?"

The creature uttered another burst of chirps and bobbed its head enthusiastically. It stood at around one meter in height and was covered in fine brown fur except on its flattened snout and its large, leaf-shaped ears. Its eyes were wide and inquisitive and it turned to regard Juno and Galen with great attentiveness. It lifted a tiny hand in greeting, each small finger tipped with a sharp little claw.

"You can understand what that thing is saying?" Galen asked with some disbelief.

Sia smiled. "Pretty much. I learned a thing or two from a couple of Chadra-Fan pilots a few years back. They have ways of communicating that don't involve words, ways that no other species can comprehend. My understanding isn't perfect and it never will be, but it's good enough to get by." She gestured towards the little bat-faced alien. "This is Moxxu. She and two others will be joining us later."

"And they can't speak Basic?" Galen continued, remembering what Viedas had told them.

"A little. Enough to get by. They understand it well enough, though, so watch your manners." She gave him a large smile and turned back to Moxxu. "This is Starkiller and Captain Eclipse. Where are the others?"

This time the little alien replied in Galactic Basic - as if to prove that she could. "They near." The words were spoken in a nasal voice that was almost as high-pitched as their native tongue. "I to show you the way."

They followed the miniscule alien down into the filthy labyrinth of the city, relying on her to find the way. Juno tried to keep up with the twists and turns but by the end she wasn't sure she'd be able to find her way back to the ship without aid. A quick glance at Galen told her he was feeling equally as lost. They shared a brief look before Sia dropped back to walk between them. "Claustrophobic, isn't it?"

"Words cannot describe my disappointment at having to come back here." Juno replied.

"It's not exactly my idea of a good holiday destination." Sia agreed with a laugh. "Not for us, anyway. For smugglers, pirates and criminals, though? This must be a dream come true."

"If that was supposed to make me feel better…it didn't."

Sia threw an arm around Juno's shoulders. "Cheer up. We're only here for a couple of days. Perhaps our next planet will be a tropical paradise? Sunshine, sparkling oceans and an abundance of good food and drink."

"That's just wishful thinking."

"Hey, it could happen."

"No." Juno replied with a wry smile. "It really couldn't."

"Meet here." Moxxu interrupted in her incredibly high-pitched voice. Juno glanced across to see where exactly 'here' was. She'd been expecting it to be some sort of seedy cantina or shady warehouse. In fact, the building was a workshop and though it looked rather rundown and untidy, the smell of engine oil and metal brought with it a great sense of comfort.

Two droids were bustling back and forth on errands and, at the far side, working underneath the glare of intense lamps, was a middle-aged mechanic. His back was facing them and he didn't pause to look up, even at Moxxu's trill call. It hadn't gone completely unheard, however, as the sound of shuffling movement was swiftly followed by two more Chadra-Fan stepping into view. The miniature aliens erupted into chatter, so excitedly and so swiftly that Sia looked unable to keep up.

"That'll be Okiier and her brother, Cheemi." She introduced after a failed attempt at translating.

"How can you tell?"

"There are subtle differences but it's easier if you're familiar with them. Moxxu's snout has a slightly pinker skin tone and Cheemi has this small notch in his ear from a scuffle with some monstrous creature he crossed paths with as a youth – or that's what I'm told, anyway."

"And Okiier?"

"The one in the orange jacket. He's an old family friend, apparently." Sia turned her dark eyes towards them. "They're a very forgiving people and difficult to offend, so don't be too nervous around them, okay?"

"Nervous?" Galen looked somewhat amused at that.

Only then did the mechanic straighten his back, groaning in pain from being hunkered over his workstation for so long. "What's all this fuss about, eh? Can't a man work in peace?" His eyes went accusingly to the three Chadra-Fan who were still talking loudly amongst themselves. The little aliens seemed not to have even heard him.

With a grunt, the man raked a hand through his disheveled hair; unkempt, greasy and cut with an uncaring hand. The hair on his face was perhaps a little too long to be called stubble. His eyes went straight to Galen. "McLeod, isn't it? About time you got here."

"Excuse me?" He bristled.

"You heard. I've been waiting. It's in storage out back. The droid will show you through."

"The bike?" Galen ventured.

"Of course! What else?" He lifted his hands in exasperation and gave the droid shuffling next to him a rough kick. It gave a tuneless whistle and rolled across the room, beeping at them as it passed.

"Go on. What are you waiting for? After it." The old mechanic urged. "I'll be with you in a minute."

They followed the droid through a large entrance which had once been a working door instead of the hole in the wall it was now. The room beyond was filled with all sorts of odd mechanisms that had been brought for fixing, selling or dismantling. Engine parts for discontinued ships. The remnants of an old pod racer had been dumped in one corner, partially concealed by an extremely ancient looking generator. The building was more a museum of antiques than a mechanic's workshop.

"Wow." Galen's less than impressed voice drew their attention. "This is like taking a step into the past. I dread to think what this swoop is going to be like."

The droid rolled to a halt next to a suspiciously swoop bike shaped object that was concealed beneath a huge dust sheet. Galen wasted no time in grabbing the sheet and casting it aside to reveal the vehicle beneath.

It took a moment for him to absorb what he was seeing, but it certainly wasn't what he had been expecting.

"There's...no rust." Were the only words that came to mind.

Sia shouldered past him to take a look, whistling with appreciation. "That's a pretty fine machine you've got there. Well…it looks like one, anyway. I couldn't tell you whether or not the exterior is covering some rubbish engine in there, but it sure does look the part."

Some of the panels on the bodywork were brand new – clearly having replaced some that had been badly damaged – and they gleamed brilliantly against the slightly duller paintwork of those that had been left in place. In comparison to the bike Galen had used as practice, this one looked lighter and leaner, many of the panels missing altogether to show off the bike's innards. The front was beveled, the handlebars angled backwards into a loosely constructed 'V' shape and the seat set lower into the body – all to help with the aerodynamics. The bike itself was a dark, conifer green, striped along one side with a single white line.

"I don't think you'll need to worry about it. This beauty has substance." Juno replied, edging closer to slide a hand against the smooth green panels on the front of the bike. Her fingers sought a blemish in the metal and found none.

"How do you know?" Galen asked.

"The mark there on the repulsorlift drive." She indicated it. "It's an older model but well-known. The drives that come from Kuat are extremely well put together."

Arching a brow at her, Galen swung into the seat and glanced down at the display set in the very center, just beneath the handlebars. "I didn't know you were that interested in swoop racing."

"A guilty pleasure, is it?" Sia added teasingly.

Juno cleared her throat awkwardly. "Uh, no. Nothing like that. They used to race them back home, that's all."

"Perhaps the lady should be the one racing, eh?" The mechanic grated as he stumped towards them on a bad leg. Behind him, the three Chadra-Fan had been distracted by an odd contraption that sat to one side of the workshop, chattering in slightly quieter, more thoughtful voices than they had been before.

The mechanic drew up alongside the bike. "Hey, hey, don't go pressing buttons. That's a delicate piece of equipment you've got there. Show some respect."

Galen rolled his eyes but lifted his hands clear to avoid a lecture.

"Okay, listen. I can get this towed down to the racing arena for you in time for some practice runs. You only get three test laps so don't waste them and, for goodness sake, don't crash. You smash this bike and there's no way you'll be competing tomorrow – even if you do come out of it alive. I've only got one pair of hands."

"I'm not going to crash."

The mechanic grunted. "You're confident about that now. But just wait until you get out there. I hope you know what you're doing because there's some real tough competition."

"That's my problem. Not yours."

The mechanic grunted in acknowledgment.

"When can you get it to the track?"

"Give me an hour and it'll be there."

* * *

><p>"Starkiller still not back, yet?"<p>

"No." Juno replied distractedly. "He probably won't be for a while."

"His food will get cold." Sia replied, waving the bag she'd just collected from the closest take-out. "It looks really interesting, too."

"Is that another word for disgusting?"

Sia shrugged. "Interesting sounded better." She rummaged through the bag and lifted out one of the containers, peering curiously at its contents. "Some kind of crunchy plant thing?" She made a guess. "It doesn't look that bad."

"You don't even know what you ordered?"

"I let them choose." And at Juno's look she added: "Hey, it's called being adventurous. You might like it but you won't know until you try. Come on. Take it." She waved one of the disposable containers in Juno's direction and the blonde pilot reluctantly took it from her.

In the end, it didn't taste all that bad and as they ate, Sia brought up mission detail on the display. "Okay, might as well do some work whilst we eat, right? Starkiller gets the easy job. He just has to race that bike. We'll need to do the investigative work to make sure it all goes to plan."

"You and the Chadra-Fan. I'll be here with PROXY." Juno corrected.

Sia made a face. "I can't believe you're going to stay here. What about the dress you bought?"

"This is work, Sia." Juno replied firmly.

"What and you can't have fun when you're working?"

"Four pairs of eyes on the ground is more than enough." Juno reasoned. "We're not expecting trouble in any case. As far as we know, there's not been a whisper of rebellion at all. There's no reason for them to suspect us being there."

"I wouldn't be so sure. The kind of lives these operatives lead? They'll be paranoid for sure."

Juno smiled. "You're not going to change my mind."

The flight officer huffed and shoveled more food into her mouth. After a moment, she pointed at the screen with her fork. "You think we ought to have one of the Chadra-Fan by the emergency exit?"

"We can alter the patrol route to go past there, but we don't want them moving around too much in case that draws suspicion."

"If I positioned myself there by the stage, I might be able to get a semi-decent view, especially with my heels on."

"Heels? What'll you do if you need to run?"

"Kick them off." Sia replied easily.

Juno shook her head in amusement. "Honestly, you will not be blending in."

"Hey, Eclipse, I don't know what swoop events you've been to, but the ladies are known to dress up, you know."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. It's hurtful that you don't believe me." She smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be saying 'I told you so' before this is done."

"Oh, I'm sure."

The com-link crackled to life and Galen's voice came across the line. "Juno? You there?"

"I'm here."

"Here eating your food!" Sia interrupted in a raised voice.

"She's actually doing you a favor." Juno added.

"I'm sure. Listen. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not going to be back until later. I ran into a bit of trouble on my second test lap."

"A _bit_ of trouble?"

"It's nothing that can't be fixed in time for tomorrow but I'm getting roped into helping since it was evidently my fault."

"What did you do exactly?"

"One of the panels came loose. Apparently an aggressive driving style can do that." He didn't sound at all convinced.

"More likely it wasn't bolted down correctly."

"I tried telling him that."

Juno smiled. "He probably didn't take that very well."

"Not at all."

"Okay, you have fun and we'll see you later."

Transmission cut, Juno turned back to look at the display, trying to direct her thoughts to the task at hand.

"We've done all the preparation we can." Sia added. "Now all that's left is to get the job done. This time tomorrow and it'll be in full sway."

* * *

><p>It was hard to get immersed into the atmosphere watching from the surveillance cameras, but the party was already in full-swing by the time Sia arrived. The Chadra-Fan were already in place; the siblings, Moxxu and Cheemi, having arrived perhaps half an hour before, with Okiier close behind.<p>

Juno had sliced into surveillance in order to keep visual tabs on the goings on. PROXY was there to offer an extra pair of eyes – of which she was very grateful. It would have been so much more difficult juggling between four people by herself.

"You got a visual?" Sia asked, hiding her mouth behind her glass.

"I have."

"Good. I've just spotted our first target."

"Where am I looking?"

"Just to the left of the stage. I'll turn my head towards him briefly now."

Sia was standing amongst a gathering of people, the com-link concealed in the frilled strap on her dress. She had been right, too. There were women of many different species decked out in pretty clothes, hanging on men's arms like sparkling accessories. Unsurprisingly, a good many of them were Twi'lek; all long legs and bountiful curves. Juno didn't think she'd ever seen a Twi'lek female that could be considered ugly. Being on a place like Nar Shaddaa only made their beauty stand out all the more vividly; the bright colors of their skin practically glowing against the dull backdrop of the city.

Juno's eyes scanned the displays until she found who they were looking for. "Got him. That's Miller."

"Who's he with?"

A pause. "No one we know."

"I'll mingle close by."

"Okay. Be careful."

Juno watched nervously as Sia merged with those around her. She seemed very much in her element, enjoying the party even though she was fully aware of its seriousness. Her arm was caught by a man of similar age and she swung around to engage him in conversation. The image was far too poor to tell, but Juno suspected the woman's eyes would be moving subtly around even as she spoke. She may have been a flight officer by trade but she could have been an actress.

"What have you got on your displays, PROXY?"

"Okiier just left range." The droid replied. "No suspect activity."

"Keep an eye out. We need to be ready. We've still got two other targets to identify."

"Of course, Captain."

"The first race is due to start soon, isn't it?" Juno tried not to sound worried.

"Fifteen minutes. The racers are preparing."

"Galen hasn't tried to make contact, has he?"

"Negative. He's currently unreachable."

"I really hope that bike holds together."

* * *

><p>Galen flipped the visor down over his face and tightened the scarf about his neck even as all those around him began to rev their engines. The sound was immense, drowning out the excitable commentator who had been in the process of introducing all of the racers in turn.<p>

Years of training and well honed skills with the Force made it easy to block out the sound and focus on the task at hand.

He settled himself into the seat, gripping the accelerator with a steady hand, eyes up; watching for the signal. Waiting for the beginning of the race.

The bikes could have not been more individual if they had tried. They came in an array of different colors and body shapes, all with heavy modifications that made them impossible to predict. Some were huge, hulking machines whilst others were slender and sleek-nosed. The racers, too, were just as unique as their bikes; coming in an array of different species and ages. One of the most popular racers was a female Rodian, in her middle-years but apparently talented, going by her track record. She was waving to the crowds who were hollering their appreciation.

For a brief moment, the commentator's jovial voice rose up above the sound of bikes and though Galen didn't quite hear it, the increase in volume seemed to be signal enough. The last of the riders settled into position and the tension mounted. His fingers tensed against the accelerator and the bike gave a tremendous roar as if fighting to break free from its bindings.

Green lights flared and the bike surged forwards with no hesitation at all, gathering speed at a tremendous rate. The low _'chuh, chuh, chuh'_ increased in tempo until it became a single, high-pitched note; shrill in his ears.

He threw out his senses to locate the other racers, determining where they were and where they might go. They were scarily close and one wrong move could mean a horrible collision. He'd forgotten to take that into consideration when doing his solo test laps.

Leaning into the first turn, he pressed harder on the accelerator in an attempt to pull ahead only to be thwarted by a neighbor who swerved into his path; forcing him to release the speed to avoid a collision. He heard the scrape of metal on metal somewhere behind him and risked a glance over his shoulder. A spray of sparks lit the air as two bikes leaned in against one another.

Up ahead, the circuit dropped steeply, forcing Galen and the others to adjust their speed to prevent themselves from hurtling out of control. The leader crested the drop and the glare of the replusorlifts left a white spot in his vision as it dropped down and out of sight.

Galen was fifth into the fall, the bike's engine laboring as it sought to get back onto a comfortable level.

He used the Force to cushion his landing and propel him forwards—which was lucky, because a moment later and he heard the horrible screeching, explosive sound of a bike crash-landing behind him. The heat of the fire rippled across his back, the shockwave buffeting the swoop beneath him.

Leaning into the wind he squeezed the accelerator and felt the spring of speed as the machine reacted. The bike certainly sounded happier at faster speeds and along the straight he finally began to gain on the four leading bikes. The sound of the vehicles in the enclosed tunnel was a horrifying steady rumble that was deafening in its intensity.

Beside him a black bike, geared up like a miniature ship, began to gain on him. Its side was badly scored from a near-miss. It's rider, a man perhaps only five years his senior, threw him a callous smile.

It was hard to focus on driving fast whilst performing delicate operations with the Force, but after a moment of concentration Galen managed to loosen one of his rival's components just enough for the bike to start losing power.

He watched with some amusement as the man's smirk darkened with fury and then he was dropping behind, leaving Galen to claim fifth place once again.

But fifth place was nowhere near good enough.

They were under the Refugee Sector now and ahead, the four bikes had put even more distance between them and him. To make matters worse, he could sense three others beginning to gain on him, forcing him to apply more speed despite the hard left that was coming up. This corner had almost been his undoing during his first test lap and he was certain he was going faster now than he had been then. That was confirmed when he felt the bike begin to loose control as he turned and for a moment he believed that his eagerness to catch up would end with him crashing out in the first lap.

When he cleared the corner – by barely a meter from the wall – he realized that all his practice must have paid off somewhat.

Behind him he heard (and felt) the result of one unlucky rider who had overshot the turn.

* * *

><p>Miller's attention had turned to the race the moment it had begun, taking a seat on one of the comfortable couches. A woman in radiant attire held up a display so that he could see the events without joining the masses.<p>

Sia stood close by, her head turned strategically so it appeared she was watching the big screen suspended from the ceiling. The man who had hooked her into conversation earlier was still close by, throwing her appreciative looks.

Juno warned her.

"Can you blame him?" Came Sia's retort. "I _do_ look gorgeous in this dress."

"It's definitely drawing attention."

"So long as it's not one of our targets, its fine. Stop worrying." She raised a glass to her lips. "Can you see the race?"

"PROXY's monitoring." Juno replied. She didn't think she could watch it. It would make her nervous and then she wouldn't be able to concentrate on protecting Sia.

"I wish I'd placed—"

"—Your admirer is coming back."

Sia turned smoothly to face the young man and, with a pleasant laugh, agreed to a drink.

Growling under her breath, Juno checked Moxxu and Cheemi's positions. The female Chadra-Fan seemed to be watching the race with great enthusiasm, waving her arms and cheering along with all of the others. Juno hoped that it was just an act but she couldn't be entirely sure.

"Did Moxxu place a bet?"

"She did, Captain." PROXY replied and, at seeing Juno's annoyed expression, added: "On Master to win, of course."

"She's not here to gamble."

"The Alliance provided the Chadra-Fan with funds to help with their task, Captain. It would be correct to assume that all funds won through gambling will be returned."

"I wouldn't assume anything." She paused, casting the droid a wary look. "How's he doing?"

The droid briefly turned back to one of the displays. "Good news. He's finally gaining on the lead racers."

* * *

><p>Nar Shaddaa's docks were in full swing when the first of the swoop bikes came hurtling by at top speeds. Some of the workers paused to watch or scurried to get well clear of the track in case an unlucky racer clipped some debris and went hurtling off course.<p>

A huge construction crane had been attempting to lower a container – the size of a small house - down onto a section of the track, the load swinging as it slowed.

The lead racer drove fearlessly beneath it, not even hesitating for a moment. The three behind it snaked to avoid the container's shadow - just in case it continued to lower - and Galen decided to follow their lead, which was lucky, because the crane did indeed continue its descent.

After the docks, the track coiled back around into another deafening tunnel and Galen urged the swoop faster, closing that gap just as he crossed over into the second lap. He was so close now that if they made a mistake he would be on them a split second later.

Almost as if he had willed it with the Force, a plume of smoke gushed from the engine of the rider in third place and within seconds the machine began to veer out of control as fire took hold.

Quicker than the eye could follow, the bike turned too far to the left and in the next moment was spinning haphazardly; lurching up into the air. The rider was thrown free, rolling in a flail of lifeless limbs and the bike careered into the ceiling in an eruption of flame and ear-shattering sound.

Galen ploughed through the smoke and felt it burn sharply at his eyes and the back of his throat.

Fourth.

He was making progress, but it was slow progress and he wasn't sure whether – at the rate he was going – he'd be able to take the lead position before the race was over. Just ahead of him, second and third were neck and neck, trading positions as they attempted to gain the advantage over one another.

Galen used the Force to guide him and found that, with senses extended, he could more easily react to oncoming obstacles. On the straight, he turned to check behind him and was satisfied that there was enough distance between him and the next man that he didn't have to worry about his position.

He flattened down further in his seat, ignoring the dry air that got in around his visor, and concentrated on moving forward.

Ahead of him a gush of air from an active sewer vent spewed onto the track and he adjusted his speed so that it cut off again before he reached it. Above him another vent opened up and, even though it wasn't a direct hit, the effect of it made the bike sway dangerously. Gritting his teeth, Galen struggled to regain control, attempting to swing the bike back into a straight line. And all the time he was aware of his speed and its sudden drop as he finally pulled the vehicle back into obedience.

He hit the third and final lap at an excessive speed that launched him into the air but saw him setting down with surprising smoothness – or surprising for the watchers, anyway. The Force was good at softening a long fall and what worked for him also worked well for the bike. It gave a high, keening sound as he rode – flat out – after the leaders, gaining on them so quickly now that he wondered whether they had slowed down.

A second later and he realized that they _had_ slowed down.

The lead rider swerved to narrowly miss a blast of air from a vent set into the floor of the track and behind, the second and third were forced to drop back and swerve wide. With lightning-fast reflexes, Galen angled the bike, clipping the vent and cursing loudly as the turbulence from it sent the bike scraping against the ground, sending a bright shower of sparks into the air.

And then, a second later and another vent opened up.

The air smashed into the lead racer as if it were made of solid stone and the three remaining riders – including Galen – were forced to release the accelerators and swerve wide.

Galen couldn't help but wonder whether someone was setting the vents off on purpose to make things more exciting for the onlookers.

The Rodian was in the lead now and he was closing in fast, drawing up alongside second place who rode a blazing red bike with an elongated body, sculpted to look like shallow, slanted wings. Their eyes met with a clash of determination and then the rider leaned sideways, intending to force Galen to drop back and retreat.

Unfortunately for the other rider, Galen wasn't one for 'backing down'.

He gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on the handlebars and with the Force as his ally, gave the other rider's bike the smallest of shoves. Even the tiniest of motions, however, seemed to be enough. The rider's eyes widened as his bike shifted unexpectedly and the moment of distraction was all Galen needed to shoot past him and make for the leader.

* * *

><p>"Who's Okiier talking to? Can you see them from where you are, Sia?"<p>

"I'm kinda busy here, Juno." Music and wild laughter swept in alongside Sia's lowered voice.

Juno, with an infuriated huff, hastened to contact Moxxu instead. The little female was currently standing on one of the bar stools chittering with unrestrained excitement. Galen must have been doing well.

"Moxxu. Moxxu. Can you hear me?"

A high-pitched trill fluctuated over the link followed by a single word: "Yes!"

"Do you know who Okiier is talking to?"

The bat-faced alien jerked to attention, lowering the arm she had been waving in the air as she turned to regard the rest of the partygoers. "Okiier? Not here."

Juno steeled her patience, grinding her teeth as she sought a way to communicate more clearly to the alien. "Moxxu. Okiier is talking to someone. Who?" Perhaps it would have been easier, after all, to have just spoken to Okiier through his com-link. She'd avoided doing that in case she was overheard and raised suspicions.

"Okiier not here." Moxxu repeated, slower.

"Thanks." She did her best to keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she opened a channel back to Sia. "Still busy?"

"Starkiller's about to win his race." Sia replied. "People are distracted. Talk."

"Okiier is talking to someone and I can't get through to Moxxu. I need you to check it out."

"Where is he?"

A quick glance at the screens confirmed the Chadra-Fan was still in place. "To the left of the bar. Can you get there okay?"

"My glass has just emptied. Don't worry, Juno. Leave it with me."

Juno thought of asking Sia just how much she had drunk already. A second later and she thought better of it. She'd rather not know.

* * *

><p>The strip-lights in the tunnel streaked past in a show much like a jump into hyperspace, dizzying and intense as he counted down the moments before the finishing line.<p>

The female Rodian was only a couple of seconds ahead now, her petite body bent so far forwards that she seemed almost part of the bike. She turned smoothly into the first of the final bends and he followed her path, trying to foresee a place he could cut in. He could maybe risk a little more speed and cut in on the inside...

He closed the gap a little more, not letting up on the accelerator for a single moment. He felt the bike begin to lose traction – but only for a moment – and then he shifted his weight, leaning into the next corner.

One more turn to go…

Expertly, the Rodian began to move over to close off the opening and prevent him from passing. Gritting his teeth, he had to admit he felt a little guilty about cheating his way to the winning podium. She was a skilled racer and _did_ deserve to win. Unfortunately he couldn't afford to lose.

By sheer luck, a vent released another jet of air ahead and the Rodian immediately released the accelerator to try and time it through safely. She'd clearly raced the track plenty of times and seemed unperturbed by this last minute threat. But Galen needed to win. For him this was either win or lose. Second place would not be enough for him to complete his mission and he didn't want to have to admit failure again. Gritting his teeth he ducked his head, ignoring the dull cramping of the muscles in his lower back and shoulders, and pulled the Force into a tight shield around him and the bike. He just hoped that it was close enough that it wouldn't raise suspicions.

Perhaps people would believe that the speed had granted some sort of safety against the gush of air…

He thought he heard the Rodian call out as he passed her – a warning maybe, or perhaps a victorious laugh – but it was impossible to tell, either way.

In the next second he'd hit the air and he felt it buffet angrily against the shield. The bike began to slide but the momentum carried him on through, dropping the shield the moment he was back into safe range.

And then he was shooting across the finishing line, jubilant in his victory. His fingers relaxed their grip on the accelerator lever and he opened the flaps on the bodywork to slow the swoop down, enabling him to turn off of the track to await his next race. As he did so, he fumbled for the com-link strapped to his wrist and switched it on.

"Juno?"

"I'm here." Her reply came so swiftly she had clearly been expecting him to make contact. "Congratulations on your first win. Perhaps don't cut it so close next time?"

He smiled. "One down, two to go."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 21st April**


	29. Acquiesce

**Disclaimer: I do not and will not ever own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Why does the story editor love to give me so much hassle every time I try and upload? So frustrating! Anyway, before my usual message I just wanted to thank all of my lovely reviewers from my last chapter (I got more than normal!) So, a HUGE thank you to all you wonderful people: ThatOneDwarf, Liisiko, Sannd, SuperSayianGohanSon and typing away. Also, a big thank you to those who have subscribed/added this story to your favourites. I am waving to you all right now. Again, I must extend my thanks and gratitude for Liisiko for being an awesome beta and helping getting these chapters up to standard!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 29 - A<strong>cquiesce<strong>**

**Location: Nar Shaddaa**

* * *

><p>Juno could hear the smile in Galen's voice and felt that all too familiar flutter in her chest, suddenly wishing she was down there with him instead of stuck on the ship with PROXY.<p>

"How long before your next race?"

"I'm just waiting for the schedule to update. I'll let you know."

"If it's not for a while—"

Sia cut in on their channel. "—Juno? We could have a problem."

Juno felt her heart drop. "Okiier?"

"Yes."

"What's going on?" Galen interrupted. He sounded slightly preoccupied; perhaps checking over the swoop.

"Someone was questioning Okiier." Sia replied. "It might be nothing and Okiier is not the most fluent in Basic, so I'm not sure he would have given much useful information, anyway. Juno, have you got him on screen? The man who was talking to him?"

"Hang on a moment." Juno swiveled in her chair to glance at the displays. Fortunately, PROXY was on hand and he pointed a metal digit at one of the screens between them. Juno thanked him. "PROXY's on the job. He's still there."

"He is on the move, Captain." PROXY added, his voice chiming in over the link. "He seems to be conversing with others."

"What exactly did Okiier tell this man?" Galen replied, sounding impatient.

"He was asking about rumors of troublemakers amongst the partygoers. Whether Okiier had seen anything suspicious while he had been there."

"What did Okiier tell him?" Juno asked.

A muffled, muted conversation came in through Galen's channel. A moment later and the link went dead, probably due to some interruption or other. Not the best of timings.

"He told them very little, from what I could gather."

"They were talking for some time, though." Juno replied.

"True, but the language barrier would have impeded the speed of their conversation. Okiier tells me that he said nothing about anyone here."

"Can we believe him?"

"I think so. I don't know him like I know Moxxu and Cheemi, but they're a good people, Juno. We can trust them with this."

"I hope you're right."

"It's likely this guy is just asking around in hopes of finding something. Paranoia most likely. He probably doesn't have any idea who he's looking for or for what reason. He didn't specify the type of troublemakers he was looking for, after all."

"True."

"I'll have a snoop around and see what else I can find out about this guy."

"Okay, but be careful."

"Always."

Sia signed off, leaving Juno alone with PROXY once again. Turning in her chair she checked on the position of the operatives. Okiier was looking a little dejected in his seat. Cheemi was currently on a casual patrol, disappearing and reappearing amongst the crowds. Another race looked ready to start and most people had chosen to group up around some of the bigger displays. Moxxu, on the other hand, looked as if she were trying to collect her winnings. Juno wasn't sure whether that was part of the act or if the female Chadra-Fan had forgotten about her job altogether. Around her, most of the other gamblers were looking rather miserable; having thought – at the time – that it was not wise to back a newcomer.

Five minutes later and Galen came through on the channel again.

"I've got about an hour, give or take."

"How was your first race?" Juno asked.

"It was fine. Nothing to worry about."

"If I might make a suggestion, Master?" PROXY asked, though he didn't wait for a reply. "I wouldn't leave it until the last possible moment to take the lead position. It increases the risk of failure."

"I'll try and remember that." The sarcasm in Galen's voice was good-natured. Then he seemed to remember why he called in. "Can someone tell me what exactly is going on up there?"

"Nothing—at the moment." Juno replied. "Okiier was seen talking with someone but we don't know who that someone was or even if he was particularly focused on rooting out rebels. I don't think it's anything to worry about but Sia is on the case."

"Keep an eye on her."

"Will do. Good luck in your next race."

Then she was alone yet again, waiting on the sidelines as the others set about their work. Another race had begun and although Juno couldn't hear anything of what was going on, she could imagine the sound of the rabble as racers crashed out or did well and took the lead. By this point, Moxxu had collected her winnings and had settled to one side with a rather unsavory looking bunch. They paid her no heed at all and she blended in well. Thankfully she seemed to be back in work-mode, brooding contentedly over her winnings.

"How is Sia doing down there, PROXY?"

"Very well, Captain. She is tracking the unidentified male."

"What's he been up to?"

"Nothing of importance to note."

Half an hour later, however, and all of that changed.

"Juno. Take a look at the surveillance camera on Miller." Sia's voice was lowered and, flicking her eyes across the screens, Juno found her partially obscured by a wall, pretending to fix the pins in her hair.

Juno leaned over PROXY to see the screen better. Miller was still sat in the same place, leaning back against the cushioned seat. His pretty female companion was sitting at his side, hand on his knee, her head dipped forwards as she laughed.

"I don't—" She cut herself off as a familiar man moved into view, pausing to lean low and murmur something in Miller's ear. "I think." Juno replied. "We've just found our second target. How did he get in?"

"I've only just spotted him. I'll ask Cheemi."

Juno listened to a one-sided conversation as the Chadra-Fan replied in his native tongue. Sia's responses were worrying and eventually the conversation with the alien came to an end. "Cheemi saw nothing. I assume, by your reaction, that neither you nor PROXY saw him, either? There must be another way into the building that we missed."

"There isn't." Juno insisted. "I checked the schematic myself. More likely he's been here the whole time and we've just not spotted him."

"Hm. Could be. Either way, there's no point worrying about how and when he got here. He's here now and we've got two of our targets in sight. I'll get Okiier over here to help."

"I'll leave you to organize that with him." Juno replied. "I'll do another sweep of the area and see if I can find our last target. The odds are that he's already here." She checked the time. "Starkiller is going to be starting his second race, soon. We need things to go smoothly. The last thing he needs now is another distraction."

* * *

><p>The bike torpedoed forwards and this time Galen's confidence was strong and unwavering even as three unlucky riders collided within seconds of the race beginning. Perhaps, he thought, since the crash wasn't at full-speed, the riders might have survived—if they didn't get run down by those coming up behind them, that was.<p>

This time the race was in the opposite direction – to shake things up a little bit, he supposed. And in a strange way, it did. Thankfully he'd done one of his test laps backwards – after some advice from the mechanic. He was glad that he had decided to listen to that man, after all.

Galen was first into the bend, but only just. The sound of swoops drawing in close behind him were audible above the high-keen of his own bike. So close, in fact, that when he sought around with his senses, he wondered how they hadn't clipped one another by accident already.

A red-eyed Duros with pasty skin undertook him to steal the lead position, swerving directly into Galen's path. The calculated move forced him to slow down if he wanted to remain in the race. It was a dangerous act but one that had clearly worked for the alien numerous times before.

A second later and three more swoops drew up around him.

It seemed Galen wasn't the only one who had grown in confidence since his first win...

* * *

><p>"Captain..." PROXY lifted his head and looked at her, the glare of his yellow photoreceptors unblinking. "I would suggest that Sia does not go in search for Okiier."<p>

"Why?"

"Okiier seems to have attracted some unwanted attention."

Juno's heart leapt and she jumped from her seat to get a better look at the console, patching through to Sia to stop her. "Sia. Wait a minute. Don't say anything. Just listen."

There was nothing from the flight officer's channel except for the muffled sound of party chatter.

"Okiier has company. The _wrong_ sort." As Juno watched the screen, two men dressed in matching dark uniforms had grabbed the short alien's arms and had hefted him up off of his feet. "Whatever he said to that man...it could not have been as unhelpful as you thought, Sia." Her heart begun to thump painfully in her chest. What should they do? Should they abort? "I think we need to assume that we've been compromised."

"No." Sia's voice was quiet. "Okiier wouldn't say anything, Juno."

"We can't be certain. You said it yourself; you don't know him all that well."

"Let me get a message across to the others." Sia replied. "Sit tight."

Juno drummed her fingers against the console, trying to be patient. What would they do if their operatives were taken out of commission? Would they have to pull out altogether? What would be the price for their failure this time? Would poor Okiier be subjected to torture until he confessed all that he knew? And then what? Would they set him free or would he simply disappear off of the radar, never to be seen again?

"PROXY." Her voice came out sharper than she would have liked. "Keep a trace on Okiier. We need to know where they take him."

"Already on it, Captain."

"And be sure not to let our two targets out of your sight."

He gave an affirmative.

"More trouble." Sia whispered over the link. "I couldn't get to Cheemi on time."

Juno honed in on the surveillance to see two other similarly dressed men talking with the other male Chadra-Fan. Their expressions were a little out of focus - thanks to the poor quality of surveillance - but they looked serious rather than threatening. One of them nodded in a show of understanding and Cheemi lifted an arm to point.

"His com-link is off." Juno replied. "Can you get close enough to listen? They might just be trying their luck by targeting Chadra-Fan now that they've got hold of Okiier."

"I'll try."

"I'll watch your back." Juno assured, though she felt a horrible nervousness gnawing at her as the green-garbed figure of her new colleague and friend weaved through cheering crowds towards the group. But even making haste was not enough. Sia had barely gotten into view of Cheemi and his 'interrogators' before one of the men took the Chadra-Fan by the shoulder and began steering him away.

"We've lost him." Sia came back over the link. "Juno, this is not good."

Juno's mind was in a spin and for a moment she couldn't respond. She withdrew into herself for a moment, took a few calming breaths, and then returned to the situation feeling a little more in control. "What reason can you think of for why they were taken? Is there someone who would know who they worked for?"

"This might not be about their ties to the Alliance at all." Sia reasoned, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. "They've been on Nar Shaddaa a while now. It's easy to get caught up in troublesome situations here, even when you try your hardest not to. All they'd need to do is talk to the wrong person or give someone a look that might be taken the wrong way."

"Have they removed anyone else?" Juno asked, grasping at straws.

"Honestly, I don't know. At least we know what they look like now. I'll have a scout around and see if I can spot anyone else wearing that uniform."

"Our attention is too thinly spread as it is." Juno replied. "And I'm worried about getting Moxxu too involved in case she's next on their hit list." A quick glance confirmed the female Chadra-Fan was still by the gambling counters. So far she looked to have been left alone. "I've got PROXY watching our main targets and we're keeping tabs on Okiier."

"So, what you're saying is; trying to understand why the Chadra-Fan have been targeted is a waste of time?"

"Not a waste of time, exactly, but understanding that won't prevent the mission from failing. Either it's because of the Alliance or it isn't. If we lose the targets, it won't matter either way. I could see if I can slice into the surveillance archives and trace these men but that would take time and resources and I'd much rather make sure you stay undetected down there."

There was a pause and a sigh. "You're right. Of course you're right. But what do I tell Moxxu?"

"Don't tell her anything. Not yet, anyway. We don't want to worry her needlessly. She's distracted enough as it is."

"Okay...I'll head back towards Miller and Slate. I take it they're where we last saw them?"

Juno double-checked. "They are."

"I'll go silent for a while and try to get close. Perhaps I can overhear something of use."

"Pardon the interruption." PROXY piped up. "But one of the targets is on the move."

"Sia." Juno hissed. "Slate is heading towards the east side. We're going to lose him on surveillance."

"Understood. I'll—" But she, in turn, was interrupted by a sudden eruption of chaos. "There's something going on. Down by the main entrance."

A fight had broken out, though how and why it had started was anyone's guess. Two pig-faced Gamorreans lashed out in a rage; their stocky fists as big as a man's face and as effective as a battering ram. One unlucky partygoer's face split beneath green knuckles, leaving the man roiling in agony. Next to them a thin human male with a head of greasy, lank hair drew a blaster and gestured angrily at two men in uniform – the same two men who only moments ago had been escorting Cheemi off of the premises. A few well-dressed ladies screamed and cowered back whilst the other innocent bystanders were immediately riled and readied themselves for a fight, almost as if this is what they had been waiting for. Seconds later and blaster fire pierced the air.

"I don't think the paranoia was about rebels, somehow." Sia hissed over the line.

"I don't wish to alarm you, Captain." PROXY's voice was kept carefully calm. "But Cheemi is amongst that riot."

"I'm closing in." Sia warned.

Juno was just about to tell her that getting involved was a bad idea when the fight broke up – as quickly as it had started. One of the Gamorreans had been shot and had been left to bleed out on the floor. Arriving gamblers were so unfazed and uncaring that they stepped over his body with barely a downwards glance. The other alien was now being pinned down by a number of those who had thrown themselves into the fray. He still struggled but it was to no avail and his angry squeals did little to aid him. The human male, now without a weapon and very much unconscious, was being hefted out of the building by the two men who had been with Cheemi. The Chadra-Fan, however, was nowhere in sight.

"I can't see him." Juno worried.

"I'm almost there." And a moment later. "He's here. I've got him."

"Captain, Master is trying to make communication."

Juno threw up her hands in exasperation. "He'll have to wait a moment." And without missing a beat, continued: "Sia, what's Cheemi's status?"

"Wounded. I can't leave him here like this."

"How bad?"

"Hard to tell with all the clothing." There was a sound of rustling fabric and then she confirmed. "Blaster shot. He's going to need aid and sooner rather than later."

"This is getting out of control. We were only supposed to be observing!" Juno stood up in her seat and unattached her datapad from the console. "Listen to me, Sia. Get Moxxu over to help her brother. We need you after Slate."

"I can't do this alone."

"You won't be. I'm on my way down. I'll bring my datapad with me."

"What?"

"PROXY has only got our targets to watch now. We'll stick together and make sure neither of them gets out of range."

"What are you planning on doing?"

"I'm going to slice directly into the VIP guest list."

"Okay, listen." Sia spoke quietly as she pulled the Chadra-Fan to one side and leaned him against the wall. "I'll contact Moxxu and get her to come here. I'll meet you at the entrance."

"Alright."

"Oh, and Juno—"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you wear your dress."

Juno gave a cry of disbelief. "There's no time to worry about that now."

"Listen, if we want to look inconspicuous, you don't have much choice."

"There isn't a_ need_. You just want me to embarrass myself. Not every woman there is wearing a dress."

"If we want to stick together it'll look odd."

"Apologies Captain, but Master is still trying to contact you."

Juno flustered. "Listen, Sia. I'll be there as soon as I can. I've got to go." She closed the channel and patched through to Galen, calling his name somewhat hesitantly.

"What's going on up there?" He sounded both irritated and anxious.

"Just a little mishap. It's nothing to worry about. How did your race go?"

"It was fine. Stop changing the subject."

Juno sighed. "We've had a few setbacks. I'm going to go and help Sia."

"I thought you already _were_ helping. What happened to the rodents?" A pause. "Juno?"

"Give me a few minutes to get ready and I'll explain on my way down."

She had struggled into her dress (embarrassedly asking PROXY to help zip her up) and then shoved her datapad into a shoulder bag that Sia had brought along as one of her accessory options. Then wearing her black boots that didn't really go with what she was wearing and some slim-fitting trousers - thankful that the hem of her dress almost touched the floor and served to conceal both - she hastened from the ship and down towards the swoop event.

* * *

><p>Galen was angry at her – as she had predicted - and he argued with her the whole way down.<p>

"I don't see what difference it makes if you're there or in the ship."

"So it's okay for people like Sia and the Chadra-Fan to risk themselves, but not me? I have to stand by and watch you put yourself at risk time and time again. I don't like it but I know there's no other way. I've got a job to do."

"Juno. Don't do this."

"I _don't_ want to fight with you."

"Then don't. You can help her just as easily back on the ship."

"She's alone down there. PROXY's attention is less divided now. It will be fine. If trouble starts I'll pull out of there. Just trust me, okay?"

In the end she closed the conversation with a short 'please try not to worry' and hastened to join Sia knowing, in her heart, that he would worry no matter what she said or did. But he couldn't always be there to protect her and she was fully capable of doing this. They weren't fighting Sith Lords here. She _wasn't_ outmatched.

"At last." Sia gave in a way of greeting as Juno arrived. "I thought you'd never get here." Her eyes looked tired, the corners of her mouth pinched into an expression that was something between a smile and a grimace. "Let me guess, you had trouble convincing Starkiller?"

Juno nodded. "He wasn't happy. He's…rather overprotective."

"That's awfully sweet."

"It's infuriating." She corrected. "He always seems to forget that I'm not helpless. I've completed missions successfully before without him there to support me."

Sia's eyes flared with amusement. "He cares about you."

Juno blinked, seeming to realize that this conversation was treading on dangerous ground. She gave Sia a weary smile and then glanced around. "Where's Cheemi?"

"Moxxu has taken him to get patched up. I tried to get her to let someone else do it, but she wouldn't listen. Unfortunately that leaves us completely alone in here." She sighed. "It was all going so well until Okiier got taken. I'm sorry, Juno. I wish I could say what happened."

"It can't be helped. We still have PROXY and I've got a plan to try and track down our third target. PROXY will let us know if he sees one of the others leave."

Sia nodded, eying Juno's bag. "Love the accessorizing, by the way. It goes well with the dress."

Juno rolled her eyes. "I needed something to hold the datapad. Dresses don't have these useful things called pockets."

"Oh, do be quiet." Sia jested. "Let's get started, then. You mentioned the VIP guest list?"

"I did. Do you think you can create a brief distraction? It shouldn't take me long to slice into the system directly."

Sia fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "Of course. Who's the target?"

* * *

><p><em>Almost there…almost there…<em>

Juno risked a glance up to see the doorman fully engaged in some flirtatious conversation. His back was to her but he was barely five paces away. All he would need to do is to turn around and it would be game over.

Fortunately, Sia's delightful smiles were a perfect accompaniment to her zaftig figure. The man – who was not particularly ugly, truth be told – was utterly enraptured. Juno had to smile to herself at the thought. The flight officer had not been given the job due to her flirtatious skills, but they had certainly come in handy. There was no way she'd have been able to put herself in that situation and pull it off convincingly. She felt uncomfortable enough as it was.

Juno tried to look as uninteresting as possible as she slid her eyes downwards to check on the progress, resisting the urge to tap her foot.

'Download: 88%'

She counted down the seconds and was ready to snatch up her datapad the moment it had finished, slipping it back into her bag and making her way casually back into the crowds. She tried to catch Sia's eye but the woman was fully absorbed in her conversation. Juno supposed it would have been a little odd if she'd suddenly ended their chat and left him. So, instead, her eyes lifted to watch the displays showing off one of the current races, the excitable commentator describing the spreading of a fire from one destroyed swoop. Galen's third race would be coming up soon and she was glad that he wouldn't have the time to leave the bike and come up to see her. He'd still be angry and the thought of him seeing her dressed like she was left her feeling almost sick with nerves. She had the distinct image of his stunned face and then him laughing at how ridiculous she looked.

Sia appeared at her shoulder. "Is it done?"

"It is. You managed to get away, then?"

"Of course. A lady such as myself has places to be."

Juno rolled her eyes. "Come on. We need to get this list looked at as soon as we can." They made their way slowly across to the gambling booths where some lucky men and women were collecting their winnings from the last race. Above their heads, on the displays, the track showed the next line-up taking their positions on the circuit. Some of the gamblers had already settled into chairs to watch, though very few of them had their own datapads.

"Do we know when Starkiller's next race is?"

Juno shook her head. "PROXY will let me know when it starts." She slipped the datapad out from her bag and held it cradled against her arm. Sia moved to stand opposite her, diving eagerly into conversation.

"So, has Starkiller ever seen you in a dress?"

Juno tried to keep her voice steady and unperturbed as she responded. "No. There hasn't been much call for celebration since I started working with him."

"How long ago was that, anyway?"

"I…met him about two years ago but I've not worked with him for the entire time." She began to file through the names, checking them over with a careful eye. It was strangely difficult to concentrate.

"Strange. I thought it might have been longer than that."

Juno lifted her eyes briefly. "In a war, two years_ is_ a long time."

"I suppose."

"Here, look. I've got Miller accounted for." She tapped the screen with a finger. "And Slate is down there. Unless I missed something, our third target hasn't signed in yet."

"Perhaps Leys won't show up until the final race?" Sia's brow furrowed. "What if he doesn't turn up at all?"

"Then there's nothing that can be done about it. We'll just have to ensure we have the other two."

The link buzzed with life.

"You got an update for us, PROXY?" Juno asked.

"I have indeed, Captain."

* * *

><p>The bike sputtered in protest as Galen accelerated out of a sweeping bend and for a moment he worried that the poor machine might not make it into the final lap. It sounded as irritated and tired as he felt.<p>

The challenge of swoop racing had been invigorating at first. Using the Force to extend his senses, to give him the edge over his competitors, to use it to tweak his rivals' momentum without sending them flying to their deaths (they weren't Imperials, after all). And to do all that when hurtling along at blinding speed just made the task even more challenging. But with nearly three races – and three victories – under his belt, he wanted nothing more than to get back to Juno's side and make sure everything was alright. He had never thought that this would be a difficult task for him, but he certainly hadn't expected anything to go wrong on their side without him there to stir trouble.

He was being less cautious now with applying the Force, his swoop streaming out through the working docks. A huge treaded forklift had rumbled across the path some ways ahead but at the speed he was traveling the distant obstacle became an imminent threat within seconds. He was forced to decelerate sharply, using the Force to help slow him. The high keening of the repulsorlift drives began to slow, making him aware of the sound of rapidly approaching bikes.

He had been leading the race almost from the get go, flowing with the Force instead of against it. Using it to aid and support rather than as a hindrance. Every change he made was small and delicate; the bike too vulnerable for fast or overly powerful motions. It was a good feeling, to be so in control of something. To feel that you were a part of it.

Galen couldn't help but wonder if this is what Juno felt like when she flew the _Rogue Shadow_. She, with her tiny recalculations and barely noticeable adjustments to make sure everything went smoothly.

Another racer drew up level with him as they left the docks behind and Galen squeezed the accelerator again; the bike lurching forwards responsively. He leaned into the speed, peering through the visor that dulled the glare of the strip lights on the track as he swerved down into the home stretch.

The other racer shadowed him the whole way; his bright green swoop; shovel-nosed and slender. Galen imagined it was less powerful, but being lighter gave it the added bonus of a speedier acceleration and more maneuverability.

Even so, it was with no trouble at all that Galen wound down into the final section of the track and took the lead with a fearless, unfaltering speed.

Above the din of swoop bikes he heard the commentator's voice rise up to declare, in amazement, at how the unknown racer had pushed forth to secure another victory. Who would have thought it?

He allowed the bike to slow a little before turning off of the track, cutting the drives when he'd reached his bay. Around him other racers were grumbling under their breaths or sitting in silence. Most were tinkering with their bikes and making hasty repairs and modifications for races still to come. Galen leapt from the bike and paused to stretch the uncomfortable twinge out of his lower back and shoulders. He tugged the crash helmet off of his head and ran fingers through his hair and down over his face. His skin felt as if it were covered in a layer of grime. Even his lungs felt as if they were clogged with filth and he coughed - just a little - as he abandoned his swoop.

The mechanic glared at him as he passed. "You better not have hurt my bike."

"It's _fine_."

"Where are you going?"

"Away."

"Well, don't be late for your final."

Galen didn't bother looking back, though he hastened his step the moment he was out of sight. He dreaded to think what had happened since he had last spoken to Juno and now she was at the event; having abandoned her post to help where (as far as he was concerned) help wasn't needed.

"PROXY?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Is Juno still with Sia?"

"She is."

"Good."

"Are you planning to join them, Master?"

"Yes."

"Would you like me to inform them of your arrival?"

"No, don't bother." He cut the transmission and, steeling himself for Juno's stubbornness, set up towards the event.

* * *

><p>Galen spotted her easily enough – her white-blonde hair ensuring that she stood out amongst the crowds – and hastened towards her, his face set with a scowl. She shouldn't have been there. She should have been on the ship where it was safe and where he didn't need to worry about her. This was Sia's fault for not doing her job – just as he knew she wouldn't. Didn't she understand how important Juno was to—well, okay, no, she didn't understand. How could she? She wasn't<em> supposed<em> to know. But Juno had a job to do and spying wasn't it. They would just have to make do with Sia. If she had done her job better then maybe they wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place.

He ploughed through the crowds and raised his voice just enough to be heard over the wild chatter of the people milling all around. "Juno!"

He saw her startle and turn and as she did so, he reached out and grabbed her hand. "Juno what—"

And then he truly saw her; sucking in a sharp breath as he hastily backtracked, eyes dropping to take in the full scale of her appearance.

"—what." He ended in shock, "are you wearing?"

She was wearing a dress. A dress made of soft, delicate fabric and touched with feminine detail. A dress that matched the color of her eyes and drew attention to her curves in a way that no other garment he had seen her wearing could. His heart gave a funny little kick in his chest and then he remembered to _breathe_.

But his eyes still betrayed him and he couldn't seem to summon the strength of will to look away from her, even though he knew he should. Even though he knew Sia was _right there_, watching everything. He flustered, realizing – at last – what he had said and scrabbled to follow it up with something else. Except that, strangely, he couldn't quite remember how to speak.

Juno, who had turned an incredible shade of red, looked as if she wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. She swallowed nervously and, in that moment, Galen realized he still had hold of her hand. He let go as if scalded and tried to regain his composure.

"She cleans up nicely, doesn't she?" Sia asked with a smile – looking pleased with herself.

"I, uh…" He paused. What did he say? Did he agree – as he wanted to – and risk revealing his feelings for her or did he say nothing at all? Would saying nothing look just as bad?

"I think we'll take speechlessness as a yes, don't you, Juno?" Sia added when he failed to get any words out, nudging the blonde woman with an elbow.

"That…would be preferable." Juno replied cautiously.

Sia laughed. "It got rid of that ugly glare he had on his face just a moment ago, anyway."

His anger helped free him from his stunned stupor. "I wouldn't have even come up here if it hadn't been for you. Juno being here was never part of the plan."

"Keep your voice down." Sia warned, stepping closer so as to keep her voice lowered. "The plan changed. It's all going smoothly so you don't need to worry. You've done your part now let us do ours." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You showing up here won't make things go any smoother."

"So you've got all the contacts placed?"

"Not exactly. We shouldn't talk about this here." She gestured for them to follow and them moved into the pack of hooting gamblers to use their cries and cheers as a mask to shield their words. The intense, hungry looks on the faces of those who had credits riding on the outcome were somewhat frightening.

"Not exactly?" Galen asked over the noise.

"One is yet to show."

"And the other two are…?"

"Being watched. We're on it." Sia tried to assure.

"And you've heard nothing about the Chadra-Fan?" Galen asked, his eyes unwittingly straying back to Juno. She, on the other hand, seemed to be pointedly looking at Sia, her face still flushed. "How do you know that they're not feeding the Imperials every last detail about you?"

"I'm almost certain that if that was the case we'd have already been picked out from the crowd. No. No. The likelihood is that they got into some sort of trouble before we arrived, maybe even weeks before. I assume – from the simple fact that we're on Nar Shaddaa – it'll be something to do with rival gangs."

"That's probably the last we've seen of Okiier then." Galen replied, glancing around him. He still didn't seem to believe Sia's theory.

"We are keeping track of him. You'll have to ask PROXY for the details." Juno spoke, her eyes not quite lifting to meet his.

"When is your last race?" Sia added, in an attempt to shift his focus.

"Not for a while yet. Not if the event is scheduled to come to an end at about eleven."

"And you've planned how you're going to lose?"

"I'll be slower." There was biting sarcasm in his tone.

"Not too slow." Sia pointed out. "People might get suspicious."

A muscle in his jaw tensed. "You should worry less about _my_ job and more about your own."

"Look." Sia, seeming to be good at ignoring his anger, set a hand firmly on his shoulder. "You can't be everywhere at once. Just relax. The sooner this is over the sooner we can all be back on the ship and away from here. We're close now. Really close. Okay, so things have happened that we didn't expect, but I thought you'd be used to that by now."

He was still annoyed, that much was obvious, but he clearly couldn't argue any more than he had – not without causing a scene. Around them a huge cheer went up in the crowd as the race came to an end. A lot of people began to scurry to collect their winnings and Galen decided that it'd probably be best if he snuck off then instead of during a race.

"Fine. I'm going to head back." His eyes danced across the crowd. "Just keep an eye out. If anything goes wrong I want to know about it."

"Of course." Sia replied. "Now, off you go and leave us to our work."

With a frown, Galen turned and slipped off amongst the crowds. As he went, he lifted the com-link and linked through to PROXY.

"How can I assist, Master?"

"If something goes wrong with their mission, PROXY, I want to know about it. You got that?"

"Of course."

"Good. I'm heading back down to wait for my race to start." He still sounded infuriated.

"Very well, Master."

Galen wondered if he should have _subtly_ dragged Juno back with him.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 5th May**


	30. Smog

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

****Important Note** My next update is going to be delayed for a month. This is not something I want to do and it's not a decision I made lightly, however, I feel like a short hiatus is necessary in order to make the last stretch of this fic as good as it can be. This is mostly to ensure that it stays consistent and that I don't publish decisions only to reach the end and realise that they aren't going to work. I am going to continue to write and draft chapters through the hiatus, it's just that I won't be posting anything until I have a very clear vision of what I want to happen at the end. So please don't worry! It's not that I've lost inspiration or anything like that, it's simply that I've hit a point in the story where I need to know exactly what is going to happen to avoid confusion and frustration later down the line.**

**With this in mind the next update will be scheduled for: 2nd June, and should then continue on it's two-weekly schedule.**

**Thanks!**

**A huge thank you also goes out to readers/subscribers and reviewers. And, as always, many thanks to Liisiko for all her support.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 30 - Smog<strong>

**Location: Nar Shaddaa**

* * *

><p>Galen drove the final race aggressively; his teeth gritted tightly as he surged forwards. The dry wind howling in his ears mirrored his mood.<p>

Could he really be blamed for being protective of Juno? When he was who he was and when Vader's ominous warning echoed again and again in his mind. When she was so incredibly dear to him that thinking of life without her was utterly unbearable. Besides, if it hadn't been for Sia, then Juno wouldn't have even been at the event in the first place.

It was Sia, then, who riled him the most. After all, Juno was just being Juno. She was helping out by going above and beyond the call of duty just as she always did. But now she was picking up the pieces that Sia had dropped and if she got into trouble because of that idiot flight officer then—

—his heart leapt as the bike ahead of him hit the breaks sharply to avoid a huge, broken chunk of duracrete that had fallen from one of the operating cranes. The tremendous weight had cracked the ground beneath it and the swoop ahead hit the debris at some speed. The bike shook viciously from side to side, wrenching the rider's arms and throwing him up into the air.

Galen would likely have driven straight into the bike had he not had quicker reflexes, ducking as a piece of debris flew over his head and swerving clear.

The close call was enough of a cover to instigate his plan of action. His hand came down and, with a subtle brush of Force energy, knocked the power lines loose. The display set between the handlebars flared with warning; the indication light for the left engine shifting from green to red. The bike listed, forcing him to slow and the high-pitched '_chee-chee-chee_' of the bike began to lower in tone until it was clear that, for him, the race was over. With the bike growing quieter by the moment he could hear the commentator updating the audience.

"—End of the road for the newcomer." And then he skipped on. "And out in front, the human male from the sunny world of Tatooine is—"

Galen didn't listen to the rest, feigning an attempt at starting up the broken engine before giving it up as a lost cause. It juddered angrily as he steered it towards the edge of the course and out onto the docks, away from the track to where the bikes were stationed between races. Most of the bikes were left standing solitary in their spaces; their riders off to see the result of the last race of the day or drowning their sorrows for failing to make it into the final.

A few moments later and the mechanic bustled over, looking slightly out of breath as he closed in on Galen.

"My swoop! What have you done to it?"

Galen gave it a rough tap with the toe of his boot. "Obviously wasn't as good as you thought it was."

"_Stop it_. Don't do that."

"Look, it's nothing. Just a loose connection." He knelt down by the bike and wavered slightly at the heat radiating from the repulsorlift drives. He lifted the connector up and turned it. The pin had been damaged but that looked to be the extent of it.

"That shouldn't have happened! Did you touch anything before you went out there?"

"I was barely even here."

The mechanic grumbled under his breath as he tried to start up the bike. Unfortunately, now that it had been powered down it adamantly refused to start up again. It gave a sickly, coughing sound but nothing more than that.

"Need to get it towed."

"It's looking like it…yeah."

"Hey, where are you going?"

Galen gave the man a somewhat bemused look. He hadn't really expected him to stay around, had he? "I've got somewhere to be."

* * *

><p>Galen felt the edge of the saber hilts press against his ribs as he ducked beneath the curtained doorway and showed the finalist band clasped to his wrist. The alien checking the guests was backed up by four heavily armed men, though Galen wasn't sure that it would have been enough to put off some of the more brash Nar Shaddaa residents.<p>

The Gran scrutinized the band on Galen's wrist before turning his three eyes down to the datapad in his large, stumpy hands. There was a brief pause and then, with little more than a grunt, Galen was waved on through.

The room beyond was not luxuriously decorated in any way – this was Nar Shaddaa, after all – but it was huge and the air did smell slightly cleaner when compared to the other event rooms. This one, of course, was not as tightly packed with sweaty, gamblers and party-goers. The racers were easy enough to pick out amongst the gathering of people since they were the only ones whose clothes were covered in grime from the track. There seemed a large number of women in the room, too, some in typical spacer gear but most dressed more formally. The sight rekindled the memory of Juno in her dress, though he hastily pushed that thought away. He needed a clear mind for this.

On a raised platform was the huge, hulking form of a Hutt; the thick, leathery skin gathering in great folds around his neck. The alien surveyed the party with a detached, uninterested expression, as if he attended such events on a daily basis. At his side, a thin, blue-skinned Twi'lek dropped morsels of food into his open mouth. Close by, other scantily clad Twi'lek women danced, their movements perfectly synchronized; their eyes distant.

Galen ducked his head and moved on.

Long tables set with food had yet to be touched, perhaps waiting for the hosts to arrive and address the racers and company beforehand. It surprised Galen that anyone there would have been that considerate.

"Master?" PROXY's voice came through the com-link and he accepted it but said nothing. The droid continued: "Targets are moving in from the entrance to your right, out onto the stage. Leys is still MIA. The schedule suggests that after the first half an hour they will retire to their quarters. I can provide you with the code to gain access. The room they have been appointed has a balcony and private landing pad that overlooks the city. I will bring the _Rogue Shadow_ in cloaked to pick up our targets and transport them."

Sure enough, the doors slid open and the two men stalked onto the stage. They were certainly average looking, neither attractive nor ugly, with forgettable, uninteresting faces. Their clothes were decent quality, but nothing that particularly drew the eye. Even still, when the man accompanying them gestured for the music to fall flat, eyes turned expectantly towards them and the room quietened.

Galen shifted his stance and tipped his head up to look at them.

The speech that followed was not a particularly good one; Miller's flat voice making it hard to pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth. Looking around, he could tell that the rest of his audience were equally _captivated_, some of them yawning, others fidgeting. And when Miller's speech came to it's conclusion, Galen heard more than one stifled sigh of relief.

"We've seen some fine talent here on the track this day. Fine indeed! But none finer than one of the most talented racers ever to grace Nar Shaddaa with his presence." He held out his arm and the winner of the event stepped up to stand beside him.

Galen's eyes widened in recognition. The man was none other than their third target; Leys. And he had been racing? He supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised by this turn of events. The outcome of the race had been a set up, then. And now they were walking away with the winnings. Very clever, indeed. Somehow fitting, too, that their greed would lead to their downfall. He wondered if PROXY had spotted it, too, but the com-link remained silent and he didn't dare to communicate.

At least, now, they had their three targets in sight and all in one place. It looked like that plan was actually coming together.

With the speech over and the cheering dying out, attention turned to food and women and Galen tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Unfortunately for him, the sponsors appeared to be seeking out the riders specifically and eventually, Miller managed to catch his eye and was striding over to speak with him.

"McLeod, isn't it?"

Galen steeled himself to play the part of uneducated swoop racer and looked over his shoulder to glance at the man, feigning disinterest. "Yeah. What of it?"

If Miller was put out by his lackluster response he didn't let it show. "If I'm going to be honest, I didn't expect to see you here. You raced at Nar Shaddaa before?"

"No." He gave a shrug. "Could say I had beginners luck. Guess it ran out in the last race."

"Swoop let you down?"

"Yeah. It happens."

"You don't sound all that bothered about it."

"Hey, I made it out alive. I can always try again."

Miller rubbed at his chin in a manner that suggested he was not used to being clean shaven. "True, true. Perhaps sometime in the future you might consider a sponsorship?"

Galen's brows rose in mild surprise. "By you?"

"Perhaps. For a share in the winnings you'd have far superior equipment provided. The better the bike the more likely you are to still be around to spend the credits you win." He gave him a knowing look. "Think about it."

"Maybe I will."

Miller didn't smile, exactly, but his eyes gleamed with a sudden contentment. Most likely he thought he had snared his next money-maker. A shame then, that within the hour he'd be caged up and on his way to be interrogated by the Alliance.

Galen's hand went to one of the sabers attached to a harness beneath his jacket, almost as if checking it was still there. He'd be needing it soon enough.

The com-link on his wrist buzzed with life and hastily, he leaned into his palm to conceal the device as he listened.

"Starkiller? It's Juno. We've arrived back on the ship and are heading to the rendezvous. PROXY has you on screen. He tells me they're running a little over time so we'll hold back until you give the signal."

The relief at hearing she was safe and sound swept through him. He wanted to say something to her but she had called him 'Starkiller' and that meant Sia was within hearing distance. Galen sighed. He couldn't wait to get this mission finished so that they could drop their extra member and go back to how things had used to be.

Not responding, he looked 'disinterestedly' across to where Miller and Slate were conversing with the newly discovered Leys. The third man was still dressed in his racing gear, the tight curls of his hair flattened against his scalp. Galen supposed that he shouldn't have been taken aback by the realization of the set-up and wondered, briefly, what would have happened if he had won the final race and ruined their plans.

If he had been a normal man, he probably would have been lying in a gutter somewhere.

Then, after what felt like a long time, the three men took their leave, moving out of sight into a corridor that would take them to the room in which Galen would confront them. He wasn't nervous in the slightest. The worst they could do was to try to shoot him but blaster fire was nothing more than a trivial irritation.

He wondered whether this was all that awaited him now: winning battles against small-time foes who could never even dream of holding their own against him. It was a miserable thought for one who liked to be challenged and what use was all the training he had endured as a youth if he no longer had need of those skills?

Slowly, he got up from his seat and strode in a wide curve around towards the door. A small group spotted him and tried to catch his eye to talk but he point-blank ignored them and moved on. He couldn't afford to get caught up in conversation now. Around him, the sounds of the party had increased and with the sponsors gone, the party had turned into something one might expect to find on Nar Shaddaa. One poor Twi'lek was getting some unwanted attention from a very inebriated alien and her attempts at shoving him away were clearly not enough of a sign that she wasn't interested in him. Beyond that, the Hutt seemed to be dozing despite the noise, each intake of breath expanding his already huge size. Around him others were fully absorbed in their drinking; too distracted to notice Galen as he kept close to the wall and turned out of sight.

A moment later and PROXY made contact again. "I have you on visual, Master. The corridor is clear of any personnel."

"Thanks, PROXY." He was standing in front of the security panel now and couldn't help but think it odd that he wasn't just going to blast his way through. It felt like a long time since he had played the part of silent assassin, back in the early days of his 'borrowed' memories that were not as easy to conjure now. Leave no trace of his coming and going. Accomplishing his goal without bringing the whole building down around him.

He reached out with his senses to search the room beyond the security door and touched upon a few weak minds. They would be easy enough to turn aside if need be.

"Code?" He asked and punched in the numbers and letters as the holodroid relayed them.

The door parted with an indignant hiss and he stepped inside, feeling the swish of air as the door _snicked_ closed behind him.

In a small room to the right he could hear the sounds of the catering staff hastening back and forth. Thankfully, none had enough time to spare him a glance and he left them alone.

After that Galen only had to proceed a short way before he reached the door to the sponsors' suite. He reached into his jacket to brush his fingers against the hilt of his saber and opened the door.

As far as entrances go, it was not his most spectacular. No lightning crackled, no panels warped beneath the strain of the Force, no sabers snapped to life. He simply stepped into the room and waited until every pair of hard, angry eyes was on him.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his weapon and the three information brokers and their human guards leapt into action. The barrels of their blasters whipped up as he thumbed the activation stud on his weapon and swept it forwards. The hot blade cut easily through the material of his jacket where it had caught and then it spun, white-hot through the air, deflecting each blaster shot with expert precision. He had to be careful not to send their own fire back into their vitals. He hadn't come this far only to get careless now.

The appearance of a lightsaber, however, seemed to have shaken them up. There was a pause after the first barrage and then the fire returned, more sporadic than before. Some went wide, leaving burning pock-marks in the wall where they struck.

And then one of the information brokers was reaching under the table and Galen imagined the sudden blare of an alarm and the onrush of armed guards storming into the room. His free hand came up, bringing with it a blast of Force that propelled them all back into the wall with crushing strength.

The guards were slower to rise to their feet than the masters they were supposed to protect and Galen watched the fear and hesitation burrow deep into their facial features as he twisted the blue saber expertly around his hand. Then, he straightened and the weapon settled back into its familiar reverse-grip. A band of heat tingled against his forearm.

Miller barked an order. "Don't just stand there! Attack him!"

And to be fair to them, they did try and mount an attack. Some of them brandished their blasters again whilst most traded the long-range weapons for crude looking vibroswords. They charged him all at once, as if to use their numbers to disorientate. Galen humored them for only a moment or two, feigning a few attacks to test their reactions. They were as nervous as spooked Ronto and as clumsy as children with their weapons. So it was with no real effort that Galen got around their defenses, cutting them down one by one.

His first strike severed a limb clean in two. His second cut deep into a guard's hip and stuck there with an angry hiss and the horrible stink of seared flesh. Galen jerked the blade free and sent the man spinning into his comrades who pushed him aside without a care for his health. The third had his legs cut out from him as he tried to back out of harm's way. And, as Galen stepped forwards to parry the next vibroblade, he sank Kota's green saber into the dying man's throat. The screaming ended. Then Galen was moving forwards, drawing vicious lines of blue and green as he went and a wave of panic crossed over their faces as they realized how outmatched they were. One man dropped to his knees, gasping for breath as he reached for the weapon that had fallen from his limp fingers. In the chaos, the weapon was kicked out of reach and Galen – who was spinning out of another deadly attack, paused to work the blue saber down through collarbone and into his chest. Galen dislodged him with a boot against his torso and the body sank sideways onto the floor.

Across the room, Miller had fired his stun blaster but the charge meant for Galen hit an unfortunate guard who had managed to step between them. The man's body convulsed with pain and then he was slumping to the floor; out cold.

One of the bodyguards threw himself at Galen, attempting to take him by surprise, but he turned on a heel and brought up a palm, sending a blast of Force energy straight into him. The impact of it was like hitting a brick wall and the guard's body went flailing backwards, crashing into – and through – the huge window leading out onto a balcony where four airspeeders rested.

The air that rushed in from outside held the sharp tang of pollution and distantly he heard the familiar sound of the _Rogue Shadow_ approaching through the busy skylanes, weaving around the tall spires of the dirty buildings, decorated in gaudy advertisements.

The blade spun in his hand as if it had gained a life of its own and he leapt towards the targets; using the Fore to enhance his motion.

Slate was in his path first and the man's eyes widened in horror as he realized the 'assassin' was about to complete one of his objectives. Galen brought the saber around as the blade went dead; the hilt connecting with the side of the man's skull. The impact sent Slate toppling to the floor and he went down so heavily and suddenly that for a moment Galen thought he might have miscalculated how much pressure to apply. Blood flowed from a wound hidden beneath his hair and puddled on the floor.

He whipped back to face Miller and Leys at the same time as he confirmed – with the Force – that Slate was still alive.

"What do you know," Miller sneered. "The rebels got themselves a new Jedi dog."

"At this point, it would be pointless to resist. I suggest you give yourselves up." Galen replied, trying to keep his emotions in check. Behind him he heard the sound of someone moving and turned to defend himself a second before he realized that it was only one of the guards regaining consciousness. Leys, attempting to take advantage of the distraction, took off across the room and, without thinking, Galen sent the threads of Force energy chasing after him. They snagged at the man's body and dragged him back with such vigor that he was slammed down into the floor; sliding across the smooth panels so that he almost ended up back where he had started.

And then Galen was shot in the side.

The impact of the stun blaster was intense; the electricity rushing through his limbs and sending his whole body into violent tremors. His vision began to recede and he willed his muscles to unlock; knowing that Miller was making his escape. A few seconds later and the incapacitating pain was gone, allowing him to move. His hand had clenched so tightly against the hilt of one lightsaber that the metal had cut into his palm.

Thankful that he was still on his feet, he Force-dashed across the room, linking through to give PROXY the signal. The sound of the _Rogue Shadow_ was certainly more prominent now and within moments the cloaked transport ship dropped down between the buildings, through a gap so narrow that the tips of its wings were barely a meter away from the skyscrapers on either side.

The ship hovered for a moment and then the loading ramp dropped open.

* * *

><p>Her heart thrummed with excitement as she expertly guided the <em>Rogue Shadow<em>, fully cloaked, down into the tight spaces between the sprawling buildings. The ship obeyed without a hesitation, reacting to her every move with such eager compliance that she could not help but smile.

PROXY was standing at her side, his hand grasped at the back of her chair as the ship pitched downwards to where the balcony waited just below them.

"Activating repulsorlifts." She called, knowing that Sia was readying herself to leave the ship. She opened the loading ramp and then, her job done, handed the controls back to PROXY. "I'm going to go and help. Are you okay here? Watch the cloaking device. Make sure it—"

"—You do not need to worry, Captain." PROXY assured.

She faltered and then, with a nod, grabbed her blaster and headed out to join Sia.

As she stepped down onto the balcony Sia and Galen were already in conversation, talking loudly to be heard over the roar of the ship's engines. Even still, their words were nonsense until she was about two steps away.

"—can't just let him go."

"If you think you can get him, do it."

"Everything alright?" She called out to them.

"I lost one of the targets." Galen replied, his expression thunderous. "I'm going after him."

"Where did he go?"

Galen indicated the airspeeders even as he made a move towards them. Juno caught his arm and turned back to Sia. Behind the shorter woman she noticed the still forms of…a dozen…two dozen bodies? The sight turned her stomach but she found it strangely difficult to drag her eyes away from them. They had all been alive until Galen had arrived.

"I…" She forced her concentration back to the task at hand. "Are you alright to handle things here?"

"With PROXY, sure. Not on my own. Plan changing again?"

Juno checked her chronometer. "You've got approximately twelve minutes before the cloaking device starts to overheat. Get PROXY down here to help you shift the targets onboard. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Juno left Sia contacting the droid through the com-link and then moved across to the speeder, her hand still on Galen's arm.

"What are you doing, Juno?" He questioned; his tone serious.

"I'm coming with you." And without any hesitation she clambered into the driver's seat (a move much more awkward in a dress) and started up the small vehicle. She didn't wait for him to argue with her, giving him a pointed look and the simplest of orders: "Get in. We haven't got time to argue about this."

He vaulted into the seat next to her and she pulled the airspeeder up, linking through to PROXY as she moved to join one of the lower level skylanes weaving through the city buildings. "PROXY. As soon as you and Sia have those two on board I want you to get the ship back to the docking bay. We'll meet you when we're done here."

"Of course, Captain."

"If there's any sign of trouble, then leave us here."

She cut off the link before the droid and risked a glance sideways to catch Galen's angry expression. "Don't give me that look." She continued carefully. "If you're going to locate him you can't concentrate on the driving as well. Just tell me where to go and I'll do it."

"You're too stubborn for your own good." He replied quietly.

"_I'm_ too stubborn?" She arched a brow at him and then hit the accelerator.

Whether he liked it or not, he gave up his argument and settled back in the passenger seat, seeking a state of calm that would help him locate the runaway target. Juno could not help but throw short glances his way, always curious about his connection to the Force that was so strange her. She had been speeding along the lanes for perhaps half a minute when he jerked forwards in his seat and glanced to his left.

"Down there."

Her reaction was instantaneous, sending them swerving in front of incoming traffic and forcing a number of vehicles to pull aside sharply to avoid colliding mid-air.

"That…was close." She breathed.

"I knew you had a death wish." Galen half-jested, peering backwards to check out the damage – of which there was luckily very little.

"We're fine!" She reasoned. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

He shook his head, bemused, and turned his attention back to tracking their target. Juno tried to steady the pounding of her heart after the close call and forced herself to pay more attention. Contrary to 'popular belief' she really didn't want her life to end. After a moment, the lanes became more sparsely populated and they whizzed by turn after turn.

"Can you sense him?" She called out, brushing a few stray hairs away from her eyes.

His brow was furrowed with concentration, his eyes moving beneath their closed lids as he tried to 'see' where they needed to go. And then he was alert again, leaning over the side of the speeder to look with his eyes, rather than with the Force. "Down there." He motioned downwards and Juno dipped the nose of the speeder with a more gentle motion.

"How much lower?" She queried. "If we go any further we'll end up in the smog."

"He's using it to hide." Galen confirmed. "Lower."

Juno conceded and the air – already warm and thick with pollution – seemed to grow heavier still. Visibility plunged, only the brightest of lights enough to pierce through the haze. She was forced to slow so that she might see an obstacle before hitting it, becoming more and more reliant on Galen's senses to guide them.

She opened her mouth to speak but the words were lost in a gasping cough and then the air began to clear again; huge industrial fans cutting a wide funnel into the smog. The noise of the colossal fans masked their approach as they dropped down towards the target's location, which – Galen had assured her – had recently become static. And sure enough, the bright blue speeder that Miller had taken could be seen parked between two huge metal crates. The man himself was leaning over it, fumbling around for something he'd clearly misplaced.

"Don't go far." Galen called and he'd already thrown himself over the side of the speeder before Juno could make any response.

* * *

><p>He hit the ground running and reached out with the Force to grab the communication device Miller had finally found in the speeder. The object tore from the information broker's fingers and snapped into Galen's waiting hand.<p>

Miller visibly paled. "How…"

Galen's hand opened, dropping the device on the floor. Then he stepped forwards to crush it under the heel of his boot. The same hand came up to tug the scarf down away from his face, allowing him to throw the older man a cold smirk. "Sorry. You weren't planning on using that, were you?"

Miller's face transformed with rage but Galen could see the fear lurking there behind that emotion. He took a step forwards and felt a rise of triumph at Miller's immediate step back.

"You didn't think it would be so easy to escape, did you?"

"Actually." Miller snapped. "I did."

Galen advanced another step though he didn't reach for his lightsaber as his instincts told him to do. He wouldn't have need for it.

"It doesn't matter, anyway." Miller replied through a growl. "You rebel scum won't get anything out of me. All of this will have been a waste."

"One of you will talk." Galen replied. "It'll only be a matter of time." And just to strengthen his point, he allowed a flash of blue lightning to wreath around his forearm, dissipating the moment it leapt from the tips of his fingers.

The man's hand inched towards the stun blaster still strapped to his hip and Galen's arm came up to counter the response. The Force came with him, too, propelling the man backwards and crushing him against the wall. The back of Miller's head connected sharply with the building and his eyes rolled up as consciousness fled from him. Galen caught him as he tipped forwards and raised the com-link to call to Juno.

Juno was quick to appear at his signal; bringing the speeder down so close that he only had to push Miller into the passenger seat.

"Well…that was easy." Juno said as if she didn't dare believe it.

"Now we just need to get back in one piece."

"If that's a jibe at my driving, I suggest you take it back." She warned as she turned the speeder around.

He smiled at her as he leapt aboard, using the back of her seat to hold on as the vehicle gained altitude. The small two-seater speeder was not big enough for the three of them and as they rose up through the smog and rejoined the skylane, they were thrown some odd looks.

* * *

><p>"So." Galen finally broke the silence, leaning forwards. "The dress?"<p>

"Um…Sia's idea." He noted the color returning to her face and how she shifted awkwardly in her chair, looking embarrassed and strangely vulnerable. It was sort of…cute. "There wasn't any time to change before we reached the rendezvous." She explained. "It's so filthy, now. I doubt it'll ever get used again. Not that we get to attend many formal events, anyway."

He tried to word his next sentence carefully (compliments still being a rather new thing to him) only to be interrupted by Juno's com-link stuttering to life.

"Eclipse here."

"Hey, Juno. It's me. We've got the _Rogue Shadow_ back at the docking bay."

"Okay, Sia. We should be there shortly. Everything okay your end?"

"Uh…not quite."

"What do you mean?"

"We tried everything we could, Juno. It's Slate." There was the briefest of pauses and then; "He's dead."

"What! How?"

"He'd suffered a bad head injury. I'm sorry, Juno. We lost him."

Juno seemed to brave herself for her response: "It's not your fault. You did your best. Two out of three will just have to be enough. There's nothing we can do about it now."

"It was me." Galen spoke once the link had been severed. His voice was bland. "I did it."

He saw her start to turn and then think better of it – the skylane turning sharply into a narrow opening between the buildings. "Galen. It was an accident." Her voice was stern. "And without us, the Alliance might not have got their hands on any of these men."

But that didn't make it any better. After all this work and time, they'd lost one of their targets. They had lost potentially vital information. And why? Because of a moment of foolish misjudgment. Kota would have been furious with him.

And when the questions came – as he knew they would – what exactly was he going to say? How would he explain himself? That he wasn't used to confronting weak prey? That he wasn't used to taking prisoners? And what would they think, then?

That he was a killer.

And they'd be right. That's exactly what he was.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 2nd June**


	31. Waylaid

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: apologies for this being a day late. I got caught up with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations! Thank you to those who have subscribed and reviewed. Your support, as always, means a lot. A huge thank you also goes out to Liisiko for her help with these chapters.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 31 - Waylaid<strong>

**Location: Telgorn Space Station**

* * *

><p>The <em>Rogue Shadow<em> docked at a Telgorn manufactured space station at a little past two in the morning – galactic standard time – and within the hour they had been fully debriefed via holoprojector. The process was most certainly made less painful by the quick report Juno had put together during their hyperspace jump. And, whilst the Alliance had been disappointed about the death of one of the targets, they had no real reason to complain when the mission had put a stop to the work of some corrupt men.

Dead information brokers were certainly preferential to escaped ones.

"I told you that there was no reason to worry." Juno spoke quietly to Galen as they supervised the unloading of their 'cargo'.

Galen looked like he wanted to argue, but he seemed to think better of it; opting for the safety of silence instead. Juno supposed that failure was something that came harder to him than most. He had lived striving for one hundred percent success because ninety-nine would never have been enough. His old master certainly would have responded to even the most minor of faults with severe punishment. There had been cruel reminders of those times carved into his flesh, once, but they were gone now; leaving only his mental scars behind.

She forced herself to smile and added: "What's done is done."

"We upheld our side of the bargain." He replied with a surprising coldness. "Let's hope they upheld theirs."

Juno wished she could assure him that the senators had done all they could to locate the dark clone, but she could not deny that they might not have. She just hoped that if they had news it would be shared with them sooner rather than later; especially now that their mission was complete.

"I'm sure it won't be too much longer before they can report back to us." She replied at last, answering his dubious look with a placating smile. "At least they can't say we didn't try to rebuild the bridges."

He gave a gruff sound of acknowledgment and his features seemed to relax a little.

"I wish they would hurry up." Juno added, watching as a group of armed men hastened around the final cage as they prepared to maneuver it down the loading ramp. "I need to get out of this stupid thing." And she tugged irritably at the dress as if it had done something to offend.

Galen flashed her another brief look and she felt her embarrassment creeping back. "Stop it." She warned.

"Stop what?"

"That. What you're doing."

He smiled – just a little. "I'm not doing anything."

"Don't make me hit you." She warned playfully, turning back towards the ship. Standing there watching the cages being unloaded wasn't going to make it happen any faster. There was perhaps a three second delay before she heard Galen's boots on the ramp behind her and he caught up as she edged around the cage partially blocking the entrance.

She did not miss his apologetic look or the lightest touch of his fingertips at her wrist.

"I'm sorry."

She rolled her eyes and cast him a smile. "It's alright. I was only teasing." A pause and then: "You can make it up to me later."

They dropped into companionable silence as they made their way back through into the cockpit where Sia was sat in the pilot's seat, reading something on her datapad. She gave them a wave and tilted her head backwards to look at them as they entered. "The prisoners got dropped off safe and sound?"

"Almost." Juno replied. "Should be done in a few minutes."

"We got any news on when we're heading back to base?"

"No. I expect we'll be notified shortly."

"But…we'll be here for the next few hours at least, right?"

"I imagine so." Juno leaned back against the console, her arms crossed loosely in front of her. "Why? Is there something you need to do whilst we're docked?"

Sia laughed. "You could say that. A colleague of mine is stationed here. I haven't seen him in a while and was hoping there'd be time for a catch up…"

Juno quirked a brow. "I think we're safe for the next few hours. I can't imagine our next orders will come through until a more decent hour. Not to mention the reports I'll need to file and the checks that need to be made on the ship before takeoff."

"What about time for resting?" The other woman teased; pushing herself up from the chair and stretching slowly. "Okay, well I'm going to head off for a while. Just don't leave without me, alright?" She threw them a wink and slipped through the door.

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea, you know." Galen mumbled when she was gone.

"You don't really mean that." She looked up to meet his gaze and then rolled her eyes, a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. "Okay, so maybe you do."

He avoided the topic. "You're not really planning to work between now and the time we leave, are you?"

She leaned forwards, peering up at him through her eyelashes. "Well…I thought you'd be too busy brooding over what happened. It doesn't make for very good company."

He made a show of looking unimpressed. "You're very funny, you know that?"

Her smile widened. "I try." As she attempted to move past him he intercepted; his hand sliding up to rest against the small of her back, pressing her body close to his. His other hand tilted her chin up; allowing their eyes to meet. The intensity of emotion she found in that look sent a shiver down her spine.

What had gotten into him?

The kiss she had been expecting never came. Instead, his mouth lightly brushed across the line of her jaw; his warm breath pimpling the skin on her neck. She shivered at the tickling sensation and blinked in unmasked surprise when he pulled away.

"Juno…" He leaned in again. "You are beautiful."

She couldn't keep the smile from her face at his words; nor the color from creeping up her neck. But, despite the embarrassment of his heartfelt compliment, it filled her with a strange, girlish delight. She couldn't recall the last time anyone had ever said that to her. And yet at that moment in time, in a dress stained with dirt and oil and her hair utterly windblown, she felt anything but beautiful.

"Even now?" She queried teasingly.

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards in amusement. "Even now."

"So…you're not mad at me anymore? For going against the plan?"

"Well…only a little."

Her hands crept up to hook over his shoulders, giving herself just enough leverage to pull herself up and instigate a kiss. His lips were wind-roughened but warm and he reacted with more fire than she had expected; his heartbeat strong and rapid beneath her palm. He deepened the kiss almost instantly and Juno lost herself in it, aware only of his warm, open mouth; inquiring and insistent against hers. She felt his fingers press tighter against the base of her spine, his other hand now reaching up to work the zipper at the back of her dress. A few seconds later and Juno felt cool air against the triangle of newly exposed skin on her back. The hand that he slipped inside the new opening of her dress, however, was fever-hot in comparison and she shuddered at the contrast.

He broke his kiss with her then, the sounds of their breathing overly loud in the enclosed space of the cockpit, and nuzzled the strap of her dress down off of her shoulder.

When he looked up, Juno rested a hand against the side of his face and rubbed idly at a smudge of dirt on his cheek. Then he kissed her again; the sensation of his coarse mouth against hers pushing any other thought out of her mind.

So intently focused on him, Juno didn't even register the sound of the door opening until their intruder gave an interrupting cough. The next thing she knew, Galen's arms were no longer around her and without that support she staggered awkwardly back against the console. Heart lurching, she lifted her eyes at the same time as she tried to fix her dress – though trying to cover what they had been doing seemed rather pointless now.

"Oops, sorry. I didn't think of knocking first." It was Sia and she smiled across at them with an odd sort of expression on her face. Not flustered or embarrassed as one might expect having walked in on colleagues in a…compromising position. In fact…she seemed more pleased than anything else. Almost as if she had been expecting to walk in on something like that.

"I left my jacket behind." Sia continued, pointing to where it had been left draped over the back of the co-pilot chair.

Juno could feel the burn of embarrassment flaring on her face even as she sought the words to try and explain. But what was there to explain? There was no way to turn this into a misunderstanding. She cleared her throat anxiously. "Sia, I—"

The flight officer's expression changed from pleased to a something more understanding. "It's okay, Juno. You don't want it advertised. I won't tell anyone. I promise." She moved across to grab the jacket that had been conveniently left behind and slung it over one shoulder, hooked on her little finger. "Okay, this is me gone for the day." She gave them a mischievous wink. "Have fun, kids. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Then she departed and after a moment of shocked silence, Juno turned her eyes uneasily across at Galen. The expression on his face was hard to decipher; some strange hybrid of embarrassment and…anger? She reached out to touch the back of his hand and his gaze snapped across to meet hers.

"You think she knew all this time?" He asked; his voice low.

Juno nodded slowly. "I think so. Yes."

He blinked, looking confused now. "Why wouldn't she say something about it before now?"

"I…should go and talk to her."

"Why bother?"

"Because." She looked up at him. "We lied to her."

"She_ knew_ it was a lie."

"Yes, but we didn't know that. We've been trying to deceive her from the very first moment."

"She didn't need to know." Galen replied firmly. "It wasn't any of her business."

"Maybe not, but she's my friend. I should probably explain to her why we didn't want anyone knowing."

"It seems to me that she understood that perfectly well."

Juno stared wordlessly up at him and finally he relented; exhaling sharply. "Fine. Okay. Do what you have to do." He looked slightly rejected and she reached out to squeeze his hand comfortingly.

"I'll be right back."

"Wait. Your dress."

"Oh, uh, yes. Can you…?"

He seemed sort of awkward and shy as he zipped the garment back up - which was ridiculous, really, considering he had been the one to undo it in the first place.

"I'll be back." She repeated. "Don't go anywhere." Then, she planted a kiss on his cheek and left the cockpit.

* * *

><p>The air outside was cool against her flushed skin and she was grateful that only the night watch staff were on duty as she scurried down the dimly lit corridor. Thankfully Sia had not made it too far, having stopped briefly to chat with someone on the way. She was just leaving the other – a sleepy-faced flight cadet – when Juno caught up.<p>

"Sia."

The woman startled. "Juno? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be enjoying_ alone time_ with your Jedi?" Her face transformed with a wide smile. "Weren't you listening when I said 'don't do anything I wouldn't do'?"

Juno blinked wordlessly.

"I wouldn't have abandoned my man on a ship to go chasing after some idiot flight officer."

"I owe you an apology, Sia."

"For what?" The shorter woman smiled again. "You just wanted some privacy in your lives, that's all. Privacy is hard to get in our line of work, what with rumors springing up from nothing and everyone being in such close proximity to one another. I can understand why you would want to limit your affection in public." She paused, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes. "Just one piece of advice, though. You do need some practice at downplaying things between you."

Juno felt her shoulder's slump with a sudden wave of weariness. "We tried."

Sia burst into good-natured laughter. "Juno, you were both really obvious."

"How long have you known, exactly?"

"Since the beginning. From the day I met you out on the docking bay. I hung around to spy. The subtle hand-holding towards the end was very cute, by the way."

Juno flushed. "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I want to say that it was 'entertaining', but somehow that seems cruel and it wasn't my intention to hurt anyone." She gave Juno a meaningful look. "See, it should be me apologizing."

Juno looked undecided.

"Listen, if it means anything at all, you were better at hiding it than he was."

"I was?"

"Uh huh. The way he looks at you." She sighed dramatically. "It's so romantic."

Juno gave her a mock-glare. "Well, I'm glad you had fun."

"I did. But now it's your turn." She motioned back towards the ship. "Go on. Get back to him right this instant."

Juno decided that she would do as she was told.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately for her, in the short time she had been away something else had come up to further ruin the mood. Juno could hear a voice over the com-link even as she moved down the corridor to the cockpit. Galen was stood over the main display, his shoulders squared.<p>

"You've got to be mistaken."

Juno's heart dropped like a stone.

"There is no mistake, I'm afraid."

She touched his elbow as she drew up alongside him and his dark eyes flicked briefly to acknowledge her.

"So what now?" Galen asked. "What's our next move?"

"Now? Now we extend our search. The ship did not land on Fondor but there is a possibility it was waylaid. Or perhaps it was not headed for Fondor at all." The voice belonged to Garm.

"What do you mean?"

"They could have landed on one of Fondor's moons."

"And how many moons does it have?"

"Six."

Galen was silent.

"So you see, we do not have enough spies stationed in the vicinity to make this a quick process." There was a short pause. "I'm sorry, Starkiller. I wish there was something more I could offer but he is gone and tracking him down is not going to be a simple task."

"That's where you're wrong." Galen replied, his clenched fist pressing against the console as he tried to restrain his frustration. "He won't stay hidden for long. He's on the hunt and sooner or later a lot of people are going to get hurt. Can you look into damage reports? Find out about any word of an unusual disturbance? If so, he'll be the source. I can promise you that."

"What can be done is being done." Garm's voice was clipped. "We will keep you updated as the situation progresses."

The transmission ended, leaving them in uneasy silence.

"Maybe they were right." Juno replied quietly. "Maybe that ship never reached Fondor."

"So where would it go?" He replied sharply. "We found the details ourselves, Juno. That ship was bound for Fondor."

"Maybe it never reached its destination at all. Could the dark clone have taken control? Got the ship to go somewhere else? Destroyed it, even? There's no way we would know for sure unless we tracked that ship through hyperspace. Plans change at a moment's notice. New co-ordinates could have been issued."

He dropped down into his seat. "So it was a waste of time, then. All of it."

She set a hand on his shoulder. "It's a starting point."

There was a brief pause and then Galen straightened in his seat, reaching for the holomap display. "What do you know about Fondor's moons?"

"Not a lot." She leaned over him to track across the map to Fondor. The planet was one of the colony worlds, settled close to the core world's border. Juno managed to point out the six moons relatively swiftly.

"Are any of them habitable?"

"Most of them, I think. Likely being used for colonization."

"Maybe there's something going on that we're not aware of."

"Possibly, but it's a job that requires an attentive mind. We'll get PROXY to work on it and try to put the pieces together when we're better rested. Where is that droid anyway?"

"On downtime, I think."

"Well, we'll go wake him up." She took a step back and held out her hand to him. "And that'll give you time to keep your word and 'make it up to me'." Her smile grew suggestive and his eyes flicked over her. Then she was grabbing his hand and pulling him out from his seat, seemingly impatient.

He gave an amused sound in the back of his throat and stepped up alongside her. "So much for being busy with work."

"It can wait." Was her only response.

* * *

><p>The constant laughter – even if it was muffled – made it difficult for the dark clone to concentrate on anything, let alone where they should be going next. The thought of this didn't worry him so much as it angered him. What was going on in his head? Perhaps he was sick?<p>

He felt breath on the back of his neck and the laughter sharpened suddenly, drilling bolts of pain into his skull. He twisted in his seat and swung around with a clenched fist. He expected to slam his knuckles against ribs, to feel bone shatter and split. Instead his Force-enhanced swing met only air and he almost overbalanced due to the lack of an impact to stabilize himself against.

He blinked, realizing that the Cerean scientist, Alin-Fa-Liir, was standing in the doorway, staring at him.

"Did you see him?" The clone demanded angrily, getting to his feet to advance on his prey. "Is this some kind of trick of yours, Cerean?"

The scientist gave a hoarse cry, lifting a hand in an attempt to ward him away. "No—please, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Did you do something to me?" He raged. "At the hospital?"

"Of course he didn't." A voice interrupted, sounding more than a little amused. "Why are you so insistent on hurting the only person who has tried to help you?"

The clone snapped around to defend himself but, again, there was no one there. Then, when the voice continued it echoed from an entirely different direction.

"He didn't have to release you. He didn't have to take you to a hospital. He didn't have to stay. But he did. You have regained your lost strength. Without him you would be dead. Why do you threaten his life when he could still prove useful to you?"

The clone snarled. "Where are you?"

"No? No answer to my question?" The voice continued unperturbed; as if the clone had not even spoken. "Very well. I'll answer it for you. You're losing yourself to madness."

"You had better shut up."

The Cerean had begun to back out of the room slowly, as one would do if faced with a vicious animal in the wilds.

To the Apprentice's surprise, the voice didn't answer. In fact it had fallen completely silent. Even the distant laughter.

* * *

><p>When Galen woke six hours later it was to find Juno already gone; a startling realization because it meant she had not disturbed him on her way out. The bed was cold where she had been lying, too, which meant she hadn't only just departed. There had been a time not long ago when the tiniest sound would have driven him violently from his half-rest. A time where he'd never allow himself to fully relax, knowing that the assassin droid could take advantage of any vulnerability, no matter how small.<p>

It was surprising how quickly one could fall out of such habits. Scary, actually.

He made a mental note to ensure he had time for a training session that day, Kota's voice chiding him on his recent lack of initiative. But that was just it. Without a teacher, what could he learn that he did not already know? How could he gain advantage over the dark clone when they finally came face to face?

He didn't have the answer and he was still mulling it over as he made his way to the cockpit fifteen minutes later.

"PROXY, what did you manage to find out about those moons?" He caught himself a little too late and was thankful that Sia was not in the cockpit. He'd have to be more careful. The flight officer might have considered herself a friend, now, but Galen was certain that she'd be under strict orders to report any unauthorized activity straight up to the senators.

"I have gathered as much knowledge on the six moons of Fondor as I can, Master. I fear, however, that it will not provide you with the answers you seek." The droid extended a gangly arm to pass Galen the datapad. "It's all there, Master."

"All of it?" He dropped into his seat; hope shriveling.

"At this range and with our very limited resources, we are unlikely to find anything of much use."

"Has Sia been back here, yet?"

"No." Juno assured him. "Don't worry. She won't find out."

So, Juno didn't trust Sia enough to let her know they had been doing some investigation of their own. He had to admit that he was pleased that her new friendship had not made her complacent. Even if Sia didn't want to share the information she'd be obliged to. They couldn't forget that.

"Have we been given any orders yet?"

"No. I expect it won't be too much longer, though." On closer inspection it would appear that Juno was coming to the end of running her diagnostic on the ship. The status on the display blinked green. "We did receive an update on the status of the Chadra-Fan, though." Juno continued, not looking up from her work. "Cheemi is in a stable condition and Okiier is still alive, though he hasn't been released yet."

"They were lucky." He replied.

"Very."

Galen started to file through the data that PROXY had collected. Unfortunately, as he had been forewarned, nothing leapt out at him as being very useful. There was plenty of information on the settled colonies, on the quality of the soil and some listing of produce that had been shipped in and out. He supposed he should have expected no more than that.

Beside him, Juno sat back and ran her fingers through her hair, shaking the blonde strands loose irritably. "Ugh, I thought I'd scrubbed that Nar Shaddaa stink out of my hair." The stench of that horrible moon seemed deeply ingrained. "I really hope that's the last we've seen of that place."

The corner of his mouth lifted but he didn't respond.

"Incoming message, Captain." PROXY declared.

"That'll be our next orders. PROXY, try and contact Sia, will you?"

Galen tucked the datapad carefully away in the lining of his jacket, not wanting to leave it where prying eyes might see. "Co-ordinates?"

"Back to the _Armistice_." Juno confirmed a moment later. "It sounds like they've got another assignment waiting for us."

"They must be pleased with us then." Galen growled.

"Galen…I'm sorry about the dead end in our lead."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Something will turn up."

"Yes. A few hundred dead bodies." He replied darkly, getting up out of his seat.

"We might get to him before he can do anything like that."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do." He turned away from her. "If you need me, I'll be in the training room."

* * *

><p>The ground where the research facility had been was caved in, as if struck by a huge, clenched fist. And still, the structure beneath the ground was unstable, shifting and groaning under the stress of bowed metal and the weight of the soil. Above it, the heavy, grey sky was laden with rain; casting everything into ominous shadow.<p>

It was a site of ruin.

"You failed me, Admiral." The slow, metallic voice of the Dark Lord was accentuated with an austere tone.

Admiral T'arrk, standing at his side, looked suddenly small and vulnerable. He remained completely silent, clearly aware that no attempt at justification would rescue him from Vader's wrath.

The Dark Lord raised a hand and with it, a huge chunk of durasteel curled up and over itself, revealing an opening in the debris that was big enough for a man to pass through.

"The remote, Admiral." The Dark Lord continued.

T'arrk fumbled for the device secreted in the inside of his jacket. No sooner had it left its pocket was it being snatched away – by the Force – and deposited into Vader's waiting hand.

"You had better hope that the prototype has not been compromised."

As if waiting for its cue, a tentative metal limb poked through the new gap in the debris, tapping at the clods of newly disturbed earth as if to test the stability. A few moments later and the limb retreated, the silence interrupted by the sound of a mechanism cranking slowly. When the Walker moved again, it was to flatten its body almost completely, slotting four of its appendages forwards to pull itself through the gap. The double-jointed limbs allowed it to fold up small enough to squeeze through with no difficulty at all.

Beside Lord Vader, the admiral had begun to edge away. His fear was palpable.

The Walker made an impressive show of unfolding its flexible limbs - the pointed tips sinking into the muck - and gave a shrill, mechanical scream. Its Arachne-inspired appearance was – for the lack of a better word – a repulsive design.

In a single, fluid motion, the Walker leapt up onto safe ground and started forwards. Its gait had a strange, jaunty bounce to it, though it smoothed out as it picked up speed.

Admiral T'arrk balked and – as Vader had hoped – he turned and ran for safety.

The Arachne-Walker caught up to him in seconds; spearing him again and again with startling, unrestrained violence; until he was nothing but a bloody pulp on the ground. Then, after a moment of hesitation, the mechanical monster took a step back and turned slowly around to face the way it had come.

Vader, pleased with the destructive force of this undersized Walker, pressed the remote and watched the light in the photoreceptors dim.

Behind him he heard the shuffle of movement and turned slowly to where five members of the Imperial Navy had stepped out to do their duty. Their fear was an intoxicating thing and he reveled in it.

"I want the Walker taken aboard, Captain."

He sensed their terror spike and watched as they scampered – like rodents – to do his bidding. The Walker was stationary now, its limbs locked in place, lights dark.

Vader was satisfied that the journey had not been a total loss after all. The disobedient slave might have escaped but he would not get far. He wasn't running to safety. He was simply running into a trap.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 16th June**


	32. Games

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: a huge thank you to reviewers and readers, as always. I hope you enjoy the next instalment. Progress on draft chapters is going well and I hope to be able to keep to schedule through until the end. Huge thanks must also go out to Liisiko for being a fabulous beta.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 32 - Games<strong>

**Location: Medical Station / Bandomeer**

* * *

><p>At first glance, the small medical station looked perfectly sound; shaped like a flower with its petals half-furled. A closer look, however, and one might see the glowing spots of vibrant orange; the tell-tale sign of fire.<p>

The emergency systems had been swift to react to the unexpected incidents; blast doors slamming closed, alarms blaring. But there was no one left to evacuate. They were all dead. Patients, staff and visitors alike.

The dark clone felt almost drunk on the destruction he had caused, his step strangely giddy as he made his way back through to where his commandeered ship waited for him. Behind him, the ghostly figure of his newly acquired 'companion' followed; his presence sporadic but mostly ignorable.

"How many more stations are you going to attack like this?" The robed man sneered.

The dark clone ignored him.

"Maybe they don't come because you are no threat. Maybe they're waiting for you to destroy yourself. I have to admit that there is sense in such a plan."

This time the Apprentice whirled to defend himself, fists clenched.

There was no one there. There never had been anyone there.

With lightning crackling along his forearms, he turned and stalked on towards his ship; wishing that the noisy klaxon would just die along with everything else.

The old, battered ship was only just noticeable; settled in the small, darkened docking bay in all its aged glory. It was surprising that it had even made it through deep space to the medical station at all.

Standing to attention at the ship's side were the last remaining assassin droids; silent sentries, unmoving and dark. Just beyond them, the loading ramp in the starboard side of the ship was open and curled inside the doorway was the Cerean; silent and shaking. His face was buried in his hands, his head bowed. The dark clone might not have been himself but he knew the scientist had been attempting to escape whilst he had been gone. Unfortunately for Alin, he'd not been able to get through the twisted doors to the cockpit – ruined by the Force to prevent him access.

The clone didn't even glance his way as he stepped up into the ship and used the Force to pull open the warped doors. The shuttle was completely powered down and as he brought some of the scanners back online, old technology began to whine and judder as if in complaint. His eyes flicked over the readings but still there was nothing. No tell-tale blips of ships approaching. No grainy attempts at communication. With a frown, his eyes sought the time but it did not help, not when he couldn't remember what time they had arrived. He had no idea how long the violent 'clean-up' had taken.

In his head, the derisive laughter echoed again.

He did his best to ignore it.

* * *

><p><em>An expanse of blue spread thick over gold. Dry air dancing in the heat. Intense light reflecting back from rolling, sweeping dunes. Dual suns so bright that the white spots remained even as the image shifted to darkness. And, in the depth of cold, black space, an unnatural grey moon loomed. It was a predator waiting to strike; casting a shadow of terror across the galaxy.<em>

_And a voice breathed out into the open expanse. A voice that held a semblance of familiarity._

_'You're my only hope.'_

_'You're my only hope.'_

_And then that unnatural, metal orb hanging in the sky came sharply into focus and recognition struck like a cold, hard fist. The perfect, circular crater in its surface – like a dark, hollow eye – had begun to pulsate with a feverish green light. The super cannon charging. Pulsating like some otherworldly heart. Bearing down towards him; so strong and powerful that the fabric of space seemed torn in two. He lifted his arms to protect himself from the heat—_

—And the sound of raised voices ripped him away from the vision.

Galen's mind reeled from the shock of what he had seen; his heart battering wildly against the bars of his ribcage. He would have thought the vision a nightmare if it hadn't been for one simple fact. The Death Star looked different from when he—his original self—had infiltrated it. It looked whole. It was complete. And that superlaser had been primed and ready. Aimed straight at him. No. Not him. Something else.

A cold dread began to seep through his veins and the voices outside grated against his frayed nerves.

"I need to see him. I have my orders just as you have. Let me through." Someone was insisting and it took a moment for Galen to remember exactly where he was.

Bandomeer. He was on Bandomeer and he had been for a little over three weeks now, aiding with the resistance. Their goal: to reclaim some of the more isolated ionite mines from Imperial control. Success had been mixed, to say the least – mostly because they were trying to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves – but they had been making _some_ progress. Galen was not used to these slow-paced tactics and the bureaucracy was beginning to grate on his nerves. Even so, he tried to turn his attention to that, rather than the haunting vision that had him on edge.

Trying to wipe the images of the Death Star from his mind, however, was easier said than done. The memories it had dredged up were distinctly unpleasant. Well, mostly unpleasant. There was one good memory tagged on to all the bad ones, though it was partnered with feelings of regret and sadness.

"I'll relay the orders for you." The disagreement outside the room continued, forcing Galen to pry himself away from the aftershock of his experience.

"I am to deliver this message myself."

"What's going on here?" Galen's tone came out angrier than he had intended and the two soldiers jolted to attention.

"Master Jedi." The 'intruder' snapped a sharp salute. "I bring word. The teams are in position and ready to advance."

Galen tensed at the title. He wasn't a 'master' of anything and he still didn't consider himself to be a Jedi; probably never would. "It's _Starkiller_." He corrected in a grim tone, though he didn't much like that pseudonym either. "On whose authority are they out there?"

"That'd be the general's, sir."

Galen felt his teeth clench with frustration. The interfering, pompous old fool seemed purposely trying to aggravate him. "Well get them back. I thought I made it clear that I was doing this alone."

"With all due respect, Starkiller." The officer spoke carefully. "He outranks us. We can't go against orders. If he wants the team on this, he'll get it."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." He started down the tunnel that opened up on a cliff-face on to which an unsteady staircase had been assembled.

This was the beginning of the objective they had been pushing towards for some weeks now. A large mine still rich in ionite. Their targets thus far had been small and not enough to provoke any sort of reaction from the Empire. This one, however, would spark retaliation and when that happened, a lot of people would end up dead. _Unless_ he went in alone.

And he really did mean alone.

Unlike him, Juno had not been stationed on Bandomeer with him. In fact, he wasn't even sure where she was at that moment. It had been four days since their last communication and he doubted he would hear from her again until she'd finished putting the newly recruited pilots she was training through their paces.

He'd ordered PROXY to stay with her; if only to give himself peace of mind whilst they were separated. But he still worried and the pang of yearning hadn't faded with time, either. If anything, time had only made it worse. He still couldn't quite believe that he had agreed to assisting the effort. Juno was clearly more convincing than he had thought. But she was right. Perhaps he _did_ need this. To prove to himself and others that he was not an uncontrollable weapon.

He was picking up speed as he neared the recently constructed dais that was their allocated central point of communication. The general was there, waving his arms in an overdramatic fashion as he discussed some strategy or other with a group of officers. Their conversation dipped as they spotted Galen approaching; as if sensing this impending clash. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"Ah, Starkiller, there you are. I was beginning to think you'd abandoned us." The general was a short, tubby man with an outrageously styled moustache. The front of his pristine uniform was decorated with the insignia of his rank and medals of past battles won. "The troops are ready and waiting."

"About that." Galen started, steeling himself.

"No." The general cut the air with a hand. "No more discussion. No more arguments. This is happening whether you like it or not. The time for debate is over." His face had begun to turn red; a sure sign that he was in a bad temper.

"Then their blood will be on your hands, general." He snarled.

"Let me elucidate for you. This is my show, not yours. If you do your job, there will be no blood. I will not argue with you any further. You do this my way or not at all. If you don't like it, there's a shuttle that can take you offworld within the day. I'll even hail it myself for you."

That halted Galen's tirade before it had even started, beginning an awkward silence. Thankfully, it was interjected by another; Sergeant Marlow. The middle-aged man stepped up alongside Galen and set a firm hand on his shoulder.

"All the preparations have been made. We wait only on you to lead us, Starkiller." He gestured with an arm. "This way, if you please."

And, as Galen allowed himself to be led away, the sergeant leaned closer: "You would be wise not to push that man. His threat was not an empty one. He would send you back and gladly, too. He sees you as a complication he could do without."

"He's a fool."

Marlow snorted. "He's no fool. He's got enough victories under his belt to govern over the military forces on this planet and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Come on, we need to get this show on the road before we lose our opening."

The sergeant had assigned himself as Galen's unofficial advisor since he had arrived on Bandomeer – something that made the young Force-user slightly uncomfortable. He'd not heard it from the elder man, himself, but Galen had been informed that Marlow had once served as a member of Kota's team. They had yet to speak about it but Galen had seen the unspoken questions lingering in the man's weathered eyes. There were disapproving looks, too; as if Galen kept failing tests he wasn't even aware he was taking. Sooner or later Marlow was going to gather enough courage to voice his thoughts, but until then Galen was more than happy to let him wallow in his censorious mind.

Discussing Kota was definitely not at the top of his list of things to do whilst he was stationed here.

"Any changes to the operation?" Galen asked curtly.

"None."

"Why was I even brought here if no one is going to listen to what I have to say?"

"People do listen, but you're going about this all the wrong way. This needs to be a joint effort. You're here to lead the troops, not leave them in the dust whilst you handle everything yourself. It'll destroy what confidence these people have. You won't be here forever, Starkiller, and when you go, these soldiers need to feel capable of carrying on without a Jedi there to save the day."

"So what am I here for, exactly, if not to fix their problems?"

The man's eyebrows hiked. "What are you here for? You're here to inspire. To give them the hope that they need to win this fight. And the next one. And the one after that."

Galen had to forcefully hold back a bout of bitter laughter. _Him_? An inspiration to these people? Well if that's what they had wanted, they'd definitely got themselves the wrong 'Jedi'. He didn't want that sort of responsibility. He just wanted to get the job done and get out.

"Casualties have been few and far between – even before you got here." Marlow paused to deliberate and after a very long moment, he continued: "We're not all as helpless as you believe us to be. Look at me. I fought alongside—"

"—Don't." Galen warned. He didn't want to talk about the old, dead Jedi. Especially not now when he was in such a foul mood.

Marlow frowned and continued on doggedly. "You _knew_? You knew all this time and you never said anything?"

Silence.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to talk about it."

"You were there when he died." It wasn't a question.

Galen made no response.

Ahead of them, a narrow path staggered down between a cleft in the valley. The stones there were a sickly yellow and under the glare of the setting sun they seemed even more foreboding than usual.

"I've watched you these past few weeks, watched how you've worked and behaved. How you've kept to yourself as much as possible. It needn't be like that, Starkiller. Stop fighting against us and work with us. You can't do everything by yourself. Sometimes you need to rely on others, you know? General Kota trusted his troops just as they trusted him. We didn't just rely on him to get us through. We weren't excess baggage. We pulled our weight, played our part - whatever you want to call it! The only reason he lived as long as he did was because he was part of a team. Because he chose to work with men like us and not with those damned clones."

His final sentence ignited a flame of fury and Galen rounded on him. "You're forgetting one thing. I'm _not_ Kota."

Marlow, his chiseled face passive, stared back at him unblinking. "No, you're clearly not. But would it be so bad to learn a few lessons from a dead man?"

Galen's jaw clenched.

"What's your story, kid? Kota was your teacher, right? Your master? Did he teach you nothing of working with others?"

The question gave Galen cause for thought. Kota had been more a role model than a true teacher; a guide who had shown him his true path. But someone like Marlow wasn't about to understand the complexities of the Force and those who wielded it. He responded, only with: "The so-called 'others' tend to be liabilities."

Perhaps Marlow and the rest of the members in Kota's squad had been useful at times, but those with the old general on Selonia had all died. Even the damned pilot.

Marlow resigned himself to silence the rest of the way, falling back to walk in Galen's shadow. Later, perhaps Galen would feel badly about how he had spoken to the sergeant. Marlow had clearly been looking forward to working with a Jedi again and the man's disappointment was palpable. But he couldn't change who he was. He couldn't pretend that he was happy to have soldiers under his command, waiting to follow him to their possible deaths.

He couldn't be that man.

Thankfully, their arrival at their destination was enough to direct his thoughts back to the task at hand.

The soldiers were waiting for them in the shadow of an overhanging rock formation, hunkered down against the wall and covered in dust. Their clothes were so ingrained with it that they mingled with the landscape perfectly. A moment later and a great breath of wind blasted grit into their faces, suggesting that the extra measures to disguise themselves had not been planned.

Galen, steeling himself for what was to come, donned his curt professionalism and hailed a signal back to 'central command' to let them know that they were in position.

"All of you. Listen up." He got their attention with a quiet but stern voice. "You've already received orders from the general, but I have some orders of my own." He heard Marlow shift nervously at his side. "It's important we stay off the radar for as long as possible. No one is to fire a shot until I give the word. Once we're engaged, you'll keep your distance from the enemy and provide covering fire. You're all aware of our objective?"

They acknowledged.

There was a second team waiting for them on the east side of the mine, setting charges to cave in the main entrance tunnel (and escape route) for those attempting to signal for backup when Galen's team took out their only means of communication.

That 'east team' would also be in charge of taking out any Imperial forces deployed to check on the mine. That would be the long, tedious job that – thankfully – Galen wouldn't have to stay around for.

The elevator clanked noisily as it began to descend down into the mine and the team lapsed into silence.

* * *

><p>The enslaved miners panicked at the sight of Galen and the soldiers moving stealthily down through the tunnels, cringing back against the rocks as if they hoped the stones might absorb them. Some tried to scramble away and those that did found themselves being dragged back by some unseen force and pinned to the walls.<p>

The fear, however, soon gave way to a desperate hope as they realized that these men were not Imperials come to 'purge' the mine of its staff.

"Poor sods." One of the soldiers murmured. "Mining down here under Imp control."

Ahead of them the tunnel began to branch out and Galen waved them over. Automatically the team hustled forward, covering each of the tunnels with their blasters at the ready.

"Which way, sir?" The same gruff voice from before called out.

"Trial and error. Some of these will lead to dead ends." Galen's eyes flicked over the dimly lit tunnels. "Marlow, with me. The rest of you; keep an eye out for Imperial supervisors. Take them out as fast and silently as you can."

As the two of them moved further down the corridor, Marlow asked: "What do you want me to do sir?"

"We'll question the miners. See if we can get some straight answers from them."

"Should be easy enough with the others watching our backs for any sign of trouble." Marlow replied with a hint of smugness in his tone.

Galen ignored it.

"I'm looking forward to the moment when we prove you wrong, Starkiller."

"About what?"

"About us being liabilities."

* * *

><p>The explosion was beautiful; artistic even. It bloomed intensely against the dark backdrop of space, hot flowers ripe for the picking. The heat of it. The smell of it. The sound of it. Combined together, the destruction was intoxicating and the apprentice rocked as he laughed.<p>

"That'll teach them. Think they can ignore me, do they? I'll show them what happens when they ignore my warnings. They'll die. They'll all die. And then _he'll_ die and I'll take back what he stole from me."

The klaxon blared anew and even far away from the damaged upper levels, the apprentice could hear more blast doors slamming shut – cutting off the flames to prevent the fire from spreading to further levels or reaching flammable substances. To protect those already dead inside.

Another explosion shook through the station and above his head the light emitters flickered and died. A second later and a back-up generator kicked in, restoring the emergency lighting and air circulation. Time was now of the essence. They would have to send someone. They could be forgiven for thinking that the comm. silence was just the result of a malfunction but failing power was something else entirely.

A shiver of anticipation ran through him as he stalked across the docking bay. His plan would succeed. The inferior clone would come and he would take back everything that had been taken from him. His pride. His honor. His worth. His destiny. And then Vader would accept him back and things would be as they should. He would become Vader's weapon once again and the galaxy would shudder in his wake.

The old shuttle hummed politely as he set foot on its deck again, moving back around to the cockpit and unfastening the broken door to allow passage. The Cerean had moved from his place by the main doorway, but throwing out his senses confirmed he was still close by; afraid and jittery. The alien had been only barely useful before but now, with his mind as it was, he was less than useless.

The dark clone took his seat and wasted no time planning on how best to take the lives of the Cerean scientist and the inferior clone. Slow and painful, he decided. He'd waited too long for it to be over in seconds. This was something that needed to be _cherished_.

"You should not stay here." His annoyingly familiar 'friend' murmured somewhere close to his ear. "Not if you want to live."

By now the clone had learned not to try and look directly at the robed man. There was never anyone there when he did. Instead he kept his face directed at the viewport and angled his eyes a little. Just at the edge of his vision he saw a dark shape leaning against the back of the co-pilot's seat.

The dark clone frowned. "What is your game?"

From the shadows of the man's hood, came the flash of white teeth. "Your end is near. The darkness is coming."

"What?"

"_The darkness is coming_."

The clone was on his feet but the robed figure was gone, leaving him only with the sound of his pounding heart. The darkness? Had he meant…Vader? He leaned forwards against the console and peered out through into open space. And then the scanners began to 'blip' and he demanded the Cerean show himself.

A few moments later and the scientist skulked fearfully into the cockpit. His eyes seemed hollow and the wrinkles set into his broad forehead had deepened considerably over the past few weeks. He dithered in the doorway, unwilling to come closer. But the gap was nothing. The clone could have been on him in the time it took to blink an eye.

_The darkness is coming._

The clone punched a button to bring up a visual and there, sweeping towards them, was a ship emblazoned with the sign of the Empire. "How did they—?" The dark clone turned towards the door, his mind racing. He needed a new plan. A plan that didn't involve a premature meeting with Vader.

His furious yellow eyes snared the Cerean and amidst the chaos came the straggling threads of a hastily weaved plan. Triumphant, he allowed a smile to scrawl its way across his face. "I have one last task for you." And then his fingers were closing around the alien's tenuous throat, cutting off his fearful rebuke. Cutting off precious oxygen. He could feel the blood rushing through the arteries in his frail neck. Could feel the unbridled fear; all consuming and powerful.

His fingers tightened and, lifting the alien clean off of his feet, started back down the corridor until he was standing on the very edge of the loading ramp, holding him elevated. Alin's legs dangled helplessly as he tried to pry the fingers away from his neck. But it was useless. He continued to gape, his dilated eyes beginning to roll back in his head.

"This is where we say goodbye." The dark clone snarled.

The Cerean wheezed. "Are you going to kill me now?"

The clone smiled. "No." He said. "I'm not." And before the scientist even had a chance to look surprised, the clone flung him out onto the deck and activated the mechanism to close the ramp.

With any luck, when the Imperials arrived, they would believe him to be dead along with everyone else.

* * *

><p>The co-ordinates for their hyperspace jump had not been accurate, but it had been close enough that the commanding officer could see a tiny pinpoint of light reflecting from the medical station hanging in space.<p>

This assignment was still a bit of a mystery to the man, who had been diverted from what had started out as routine patrol. Now, it seemed, he and his ship were running errands for the Dark Lord himself. And, even though it should have been perceived as an honor, the commanding officer knew full well that he was treading on dangerous ground.

One wrong slip and Lord Vader would retire him from duty. Permanently.

They brought the ship in close, until the station loomed on their starboard side and the fiery blooms could be seen amongst the damaged wreck within. That was a bad sign and a murmur spread through the crew. Thankfully the docking bay was at the furthest point of the wreckage and that was where they needed to go to drop off their 'special' package.

The commander had no idea what was in the package he had collected and, at this point, he really didn't want to know. Any secret project of Vader's was bound to be something suitably horrible and the less he knew about it the better.

"Bring her down gently." He ordered, moving to speak to his crew. "We want to make this drop as quickly as possible. We do not want to give the Dark Lord any reason for complaint."

The small crew shuffled nervously at that and then the ship was turning slowly into the docking bay, the whirr of repulsorlifts slowing their descent as the landing gears unfurled from the ship's body.

The commander thumbed the switch of the intercom to transmit to all aboard the craft. "This is your commanding officer. We have arrived at our destination and will be leaving again at thirteen hundred hours. No one but the ground team is to leave the ship. I repeat: no one but the ground team is to leave the ship."

"Is it my imagination or are there…dead bodies out there?" The co-pilot whispered.

The commander lifted his eyes to glance out of the sweeping viewport. And sure enough, picked out by the dim light emitters were a litter of bodies. "Strange." He thought out loud. "We're nowhere near the fire."

"What could have done this, sir?"

"That's not our problem." Although the commander couldn't help but hope that this wasn't some kind of set-up. "Patch me through to the ground team. Let's make this quick."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 30th June**


	33. Reunited

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Sorry for the slight delay. Between issues with an unstable internet connection and my computer refusing to load this site correctly, uploading these chapters are becoming somewhat of a chore...in any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers alike and, of course, to my beta Liisiko.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 33 - Reunited<strong>

**Location: Bandomeer / The _Armistice_**

* * *

><p>There had been no fatalities. Only one soldier had been injured; a leg wound which would heal completely with some bacta treatment and bed rest. Galen had to admit it had gone a lot better than he had predicted. He had to remind himself that he shouldn't have been surprised. They weren't up against insane Sith. Not like Kota's last team.<p>

It had taken them some hours, scrambling around in those dimly lit tunnels, but with the miners on their side, it hadn't taken long to overpower the Imperials and march those that didn't resist outside to wait for Alliance reinforcements. Most of them – foolishly – had put up a fight. They had not lasted long.

Now the mine belonged to the rebels and his job was almost done, although he expected they would keep him around long enough to ascertain whether or not the Imperials would try to retaliate.

It had been quiet so far.

He'd left the mission reports to Marlow, who had thankfully accepted the task with no complaint at all. The older man was currently hunched over his datapad on the other side of the room; his back turned. Galen had wondered, a few times now, whether he should breach the subject of Kota with him. In the end he had decided against it. Talking about the Jedi would only invite difficult questions that Galen wasn't ready to discuss yet; even with someone who had known Kota as he had. Even so, the atmosphere was certainly less uncomfortable between them since their successful strike against the enemy.

Footsteps crunched against loose grit outside the makeshift accommodations and Galen prepared himself to be subjected to more orders. Maybe there had been an attack against them. Or maybe they were simply trying to plan their next moves. They'd likely be talking about that for a long time.

"Pardon the intrusion, sir."

Galen looked up.

"We've received a transmission from the _Armistice_."

That…was not what he had expected to hear. "What?" He said. "Is something wrong?"

Behind him, Marlow looked up from his report.

"I wasn't given any details, sir. Your presence has been requested by the general. He wishes to speak with you directly." The man backed up towards the door as Galen pushed himself to his feet.

Marlow asked: "Shall I come with you, Starkiller?"

"No, stay here and finish your report. I doubt I'll be long." He was right, too, the general was prepared and waiting by the time he arrived.

"Now, before you erupt into one of your tirades." The general began sternly. "I want you to know that I'm not withholding anything from you. The simple fact of the matter is that we don't have much information." He gestured towards an empty chair opposite his desk. "Sit."

Galen frowned, but complied without fuss. The vision of the Death Star looming in the back of his mind had him fearing the worst.

"Is the _Armistice_ in some sort of trouble?"

"Don't jump to conclusions." The general replied gruffly. "The ship is fine. We received a transmission from Senator Mothma. She has reason to believe that there has been an attack made against the Alliance." He held up his hand to still Galen's questions before they could even begin. "The senator was unwilling to give details on the incident. But clearly the situation is dire enough to warrant your release from your duties here. I've been given orders to send you back to the _Armistice_ immediately."

Galen didn't need to hear details to know what that meant.

The dark clone had reappeared. What else would have been so important that he'd be summoned at this hour? And no doubt, they'd waited until the damage had already been done before calling for his aid. He'd warned the senators and they'd dismissed him. Perhaps now they would pay him some heed, but at what cost? How many more lives had that mad clone taken this time? It must have been bad for the senators to send word.

* * *

><p>Galen had missed being on a ship; the low hum that reverberated quietly through the deck beneath his feet, the slight shifting as they moved to turn. The ship he had been raised in had been very different of course. None of this chaotic scurrying back and forth of other workers. It had been dark and quiet. Very quiet. He'd never truly realized how lonely he had been before he'd experienced what it was like to be surrounded by other people.<p>

It felt good to be back and the first thing he wanted to do was to try and raise communications with Juno. With all that was going on – or _possibly_ going on, since he still had no clarification – to hear her voice again would be very welcome. Thankfully, there was some spare time in which to do so.

The general had organized his shuttle a little too efficiently and he'd arrived almost an hour ahead of schedule. Apparently Mon Mothma had been away on some business of her own and was heading back to the ship specifically for the meeting. But every hour that went by was an hour wasted; an hour where the dark clone could cause more destruction or slip back into hiding.

He broke free of his pacing and headed up to find someone who could patch him through to wherever Juno was based. Perhaps their separation had been another test; the senators assessing how easy he was to control without Juno around to stabilize him.

He was wondering how he had scored on that particular 'test' when he rounded a corner and almost careered straight into someone coming the other way.

"Starkiller?"

The voice gave him pause and then he realized who he was looking at. It was Sia.

"Sia? I thought you were with Juno?"

"We didn't realize you were back." Sia continued. "Is there something going on?"

"I don't know yet." He replied impatiently. "Is Juno with you?"

"We arrived yesterday. Juno's down in the mess hall – or she was about half—"

He didn't wait for her to finish her sentence, moving past her at a hastened pace. Quite suddenly, there was not enough time to spare before his meeting. Had Juno's return been a coincidence or had she simply finished her assignment early? And if it was the latter then maybe the senators had known about this incident longer than he had realized and called her back.

But none of that seemed to matter at that moment. Not anymore. He just needed to see her. He'd think about the senators and their conniving tricks later.

Thankfully, she was easy to find.

He imagined, even if the hall had been crowded with people, his eyes would have been drawn straight to her. She was seated on one end of the nearest table surrounded by fresh-faced recruits. Many talked amongst themselves but those closest to her seemed to be listening to something she had to say. Her face was studious but even at this distance he could see a bright spark in her eyes. A spark that told him she had been given a job she was enjoying.

He stood, watching, waiting for her to notice him; unwilling to barge in on her conversation when he wasn't sure of how he should govern himself. It seemed to him that she'd not want her students to know about her personal life and seeing as how easily Sia had worked things out for herself, he didn't trust that he could act discretely enough to not seem obvious.

And then she looked up and their eyes met – quite unexpectedly – and he smiled to see her hastening to wrap up her conversation and excuse herself from the table. That spark in her eyes had intensified and his heart quickened in his chest as she made her way towards him. He hadn't dared to think that he would see her again so soon, but there she was. Remembering that staring at her was probably not a good way of keeping things low profile, he turned to leave the room – walking slowly so that she could catch up with him.

And then, a moment later, and she was walking there at his side. How he didn't just throw caution to the wind and kiss her right then and there, he didn't know. His will was clearly stronger than he believed.

"Starkiller." She acknowledged him with an enticing smile.

"Captain."

They walked in companionable silence until the presence of others began to recede and then, without warning, she shoved him sideways – out of the corridor and into a vacant meeting room; pressing against him, her arms looped around his neck. Their first kiss was urgent, their second less so, and then – after a few minutes – she settled breathlessly against his chest and he locked his arms possessively around her.

"What are you doing here?" She was the first to ask.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Job done. The recruits are fully-fledged. They're on standby until their first orders come through. Apparently there's something big in the works." She looked up, though her head was still pillowed against him. "Now." She said. "What are _you_ doing away from Bandomeer?"

"I was hoping you might have heard something." Her lack of knowledge meant that maybe this had been a coincidence after all. "I was called away. There's been some sort of incident and Mon Mothma has arranged to meet with me. You'd not heard anything about it?"

She pulled back from him a little. "You think…?"

His expression tightened. "What else could it be?"

"When is your meeting?"

"I should probably start heading there now." He'd still be early but maybe the senator was already there and waiting. There was no point delaying if that was the case.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"You have the time?"

"I'll make time." She affirmed and the relief in his expression must have been vivid because she followed up with an understanding smile.

"I've missed you." He replied, leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you're here, Juno. This will make the process much quicker." The tall, stern woman had her back to them; staring out through the viewport. As always, her appearance was in perfect order, though her shoulders were rigid. After a moment, she turned to face them, lowering herself carefully into a seat at the head of the table.<p>

"There has been an incident at a medical station situated within the Naboo system. Reports suggest that the station went dark approximately four days ago and since then there have been a number of explosions within the structure itself." She paused as if to give them time to get over their shock, but both Galen and Juno were stone silent, their eyes fixed on her. They had both been waiting for something like this to happen.

"A team was sent out to investigate the damage and report back their findings. Worryingly, there has been no word from them."

"They ran into some sort of difficulty." Juno added, speaking her thoughts aloud.

"When exactly did all of this happen, senator?" Galen asked, his tone confrontational.

"The team would have arrived at the station two days ago."

"You think this is Vader's apprentice." Galen's reply was immediate. "Then why didn't you ask for me sooner? Do you really think those mines on Bandomeer should have been prioritized over this?" His hand pressed hard against the table top. "This is exactly the sort of thing I warned you about. You should have told me. The people you sent to investigate: their blood is on your hands._ Not_ mine."

"We have a lot to gain by being on Bandomeer, Starkiller. We could not risk extricating you until we had conclusive evidence. A search and rescue is protocol in these situations."

"Then, when this all goes wrong – and it will – don't even think about turning the blame on me. I warned you something like this would happen and you chose – in all your wisdom – to ignore it." He was furious.

"We needed further intelligence before we could be sure. Would you rather have had us sending you there only to find nothing?"

"I've had enough of your excuses. He did this to get your attention and when you ignored him you forced his hand. You're playing a dangerous game, except that I'm the one facing the consequences when you lose."

"So you would have been willing to fall into another of his traps only half informed? Even after what happened last time?"

His temper flared hotter. "Would the result be any better if we didn't? We refuse to be baited and the destruction will only get worse. You can't just ignore the fact that he is out to destroy _everything_ you stand for. If you aren't willing to defend that, then I will. I died for this cause once already!"

Juno's hand on his arm reminded him of her presence.

"The decisions we have to make, Starkiller, are not easy ones." Mon Mothma's voice remained unaffected. "This is war. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. It doesn't make it right or easy, but it is necessary and they are not made without great thought."

It was Juno who responded. "What do you want us to do, Senator?"

Her eyes were solemn. "We are left with very few options, but with the rescue team gone and the station systems failing, the Alliance is in need of your skills, Starkiller."

He seemed to grit his teeth at that. "You should have asked sooner."

* * *

><p>PROXY had greeted his master the moment they had boarded the <em>Rogue Shadow<em>; the droid seeming particularly pleased to see Galen back with them again. He had fussed for a time, until Galen had found him a job to keep him otherwise occupied.

"I think he missed you." Juno replied, looking amused.

"You think?" He smiled, but the expression didn't quite make it to his eyes.

"Stop worrying." She pressed. "This might all come to nothing. There's no way to know whether the dark clone was behind this."

"Even if he's not, he's going to surface sooner or later."

She agreed. "Perhaps we need to set our own trap."

"There's no way the senators would permit that, Juno, and you know it."

"Maybe they could be convinced. Perhaps if we had more solid reasons for directing our time into it, they might be easier to get on side."

"Like what?"

She turned in her chair to look at him. "How about a vision? Has your meditation not shed any light at all?"

He thought of his last attempt and felt the cold dread pull at him. The use of farsight had always been somewhat unpredictable with him, though it had become much more stable since he had turned away from the dark.

"Galen?"

He realized he still hadn't answered her question and shook his head. "Nothing of any use."

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

She clearly didn't believe him, but neither did she press him on it. Instead, she turned back to the console and checked the data on the displays. Seeming satisfied with how their journey was progressing, she got up from her chair and stepped sideways; depositing herself in his lap.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She pressed her mouth to his, a light but lingering touch and when she spoke her voice was hushed. "What if he _is_ there? The information we have is vague at best. The last time I left you to fight him I almost lost you."

He remained silent.

"This almost feels more dangerous than last time."

"Hmm." He was still distracted by memories of his vision, though he caught up with what she said a moment later and pressed her closer against him. "I don't think he's getting stronger."

"I _won't_ let you fall again." She replied determinedly.

"I know you won't. You never have."

She looked set to argue with him but there was something in his expression that diverted her from that line of thought. "What is it you aren't telling me?"

"What?"

"You don't think I can tell when there's something on your mind?" She arched a brow at him.

"I can't talk about it yet." He admitted. "But I will. As soon as this is done, okay?"

She nodded, though still looked reluctant. "Just focus on what we need to do for now."

* * *

><p>"You've been wearing that smug expression for a while now." The robed figure mused, his voice emanating from every shadowy corner in the cockpit. "I sense a success of some kind."<p>

"Don't sound so surprised." The dark clone snapped; his gleaming eyes directed straight ahead.

"But I _am_ surprised." And amused, apparently, because that incessant laughter crept up again, filtering disruptively through the clone's thoughts. "I thought you were beyond rational thinking."

"I left that pathetic alien with a job to do. A job even he can't fail."

The robed figure nodded sagely. "Ah. I see."

"Do you?"

"I do." The cloaked form separated from the shadows and glided over to sit in the vacant seat at the dark clone's side. His form wavered for a moment and then became solid, though the face was carefully concealed beneath the fabric of the heavy garment he wore. "A transmitter."

The dark clone scowled.

"Even if he dies, the Alliance – in the weakness of their mercy – will take him back to their ship. Giving you a location and bringing you ever closer to your unsuspecting nemesis."

"How—"

"—How did I know? You truly have lost your mind." The man chuckled darkly and then he was gone, leaving the dark clone to seethe alone.

"You'll see." He muttered to himself. "They'll lead me straight to him. If he won't come to me, I'll go to him. I won't let that inferior being keep me from my rightful destiny."

* * *

><p>"There it is." Juno declared as the double-pronged shape of the <em>Rogue Shadow<em> lurched out of hyperspace and into range of the medical station. "I'll try and hail them."

Galen strode into the cockpit and looked up through the viewport.

"Do you…sense anything?" Juno asked, sounding slightly unsure of herself.

"No."

She took them closer to the dead station; her stomach twisting with apprehension. Not having anyone respond to her attempts at communication was a strange and horrible thing. This place should have been a hive of activity.

Galen shifted, drawing her attention back to him.

He was dressed in simple, dark clothes, a long sleeved shirt worn beneath a black, reinforced tabard striped with a single vertical line of green. The mismatched lightsabers were attached to his belt; ready and waiting. But other than the lightsabers, he looked as if he could be going for a casual walk instead of striding into battle.

"Do you see the rescue shuttle anywhere?" He asked.

"If it's here, it'll be in one of the docking bays." She brought up some data. "I couldn't say which one."

"Are we cloaked?"

"Yes. From the moment we left hyperspace." She replied with a grim smile, taking the ship down into the darkened docking bay.

"If they're alive, they can't have gone far." Galen pointed out. "How long do I have?"

"Systems are indicating approximately two hours before the oxygen is depleted."

"Wonderful." He headed to the door, looking back with a grin. "You remember the drill?"

She smiled back at him, despite her nervousness. "I'll be waiting just beyond scanner range."_ Just like old times…_

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Next update: 14th July**

_(A note: I am due to be moving house soon and as such may not have internet for a while. If for any reason there is a delay of longer than a day in my update it is likely because I do not have internet access. I'll keep my profile updated in the event of this happening)_


	34. Spider

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Hello again! Here's the next chapter for you all! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Your support means a lot. And, as always, a huuuuge thank you to Liisiko.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 34 - Spider<strong>

**Location: Medical Station**

* * *

><p>Galen dropped to the deck and edged away as the <em>Rogue Shadow<em> made its hasty retreat. He listened to the dull roar of its engines fade away as the gap between them increased, activating the com-link device to maintain communication.

"Your signal is strong." Juno confirmed over the link.

"There's no shuttle."

"Strange, I would have thought this to be our best bet."

"Can I reach the other bay from here?"

There was a pause as she checked the schematics. "Yes. You can."

"I'm not familiar with the layout of these stations." Galen continued. "Are you able to guide me through?"

"That's what I'm here for."

He made it to the far side of the docking bay, aware of the dark shapes of the dead around him, and peered through the gap in the doors that hadn't quite managed to close. The gap was narrow but he managed to squeeze through sideways. The corridor beyond was lit with a strip of very dim lights and, half consumed by shadow, were more lifeless bodies. He sucked in a breath to close off the horrific smell and stepped carefully over them, not breathing again until he made it to the far side. The room beyond – a huge circular waiting area – was mostly dark, though emergency lights glared above the exits. Piled in those exits were dozens and dozens of bodies.

The empty silence spoke in volumes. There was no one left alive.

"What are you seeing?" Juno's voice was hushed.

"They're all dead." He replied.

More bodies lay scattered and broken across the room, the smell of it nauseating. Men. Women. Children. It took all of his strength not to gag as he dropped to a knee beside one of them, seeking the cause of death. The deep scores in the woman's abdomen were unmistakable.

"The dark clone was here." He confirmed to Juno, trying to sound unaffected. "I don't think we're going to find any survivors."

"Is it wise to be speaking? If he's still here…" She trailed.

"He's not. I would have sensed him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But why would he leave?" She asked. "Something isn't right about this."

Galen had to admit that Juno was right. If this had been executed as a trap to lure him, then it made no sense to up and leave before the trap was sprung. So what did this all mean? It hardly seemed likely that there was some other Sith out there mindlessly slaughtering and this certainly wasn't Vader's handiwork. But who else – other than Vader – could have convinced the dark clone to up and leave his post here? Or maybe there hadn't been a plan at all. Maybe he'd simply lost himself to madness and the unfortunate medical station had been close by as his mental state deteriorated.

"I'll have PROXY watch for any signs of ships approaching."

"Thanks, Juno."

He pushed himself back to his feet and sought the room for the exit he needed. Thankfully, Juno was quick to track his route, guiding him across to one of the closest doorways. Her voice was low and steady in his ear, distracting him from the awful silence of the place. He did his best to ignore the fact that he was stepping over the dead in order to get into the next corridor.

"You want to take the corridor all the way down to the end. There should be an elevator at the far side but it's out of action."

"Any workarounds?"

"There's a maintenance shaft that runs parallel with it. If you can get into it, there'll likely be a ladder that will take you up to the next level. After that, it's simply a matter of following the corridor around to the inpatients waiting room. The docking bay for prioritized patients should be easy to find from there."

He didn't respond to that, moving swiftly but silently down the corridor. The elevator's lights were out, confirming that it would be unresponsive and he searched the area for the maintenance duct. It was a small door with a keypad set into its center. The keypad was dark, too, which meant that with the application of the Force the door came away with little trouble. He ducked through the gap and looked up.

It was in almost complete darkness, except for a small square of light somewhere far, far above.

He started to climb, wincing at the sound of his boots against the metal rungs. With the station so quiet, they advertised his coming and though he doubted there was anyone left alive, it felt strangely disrespectful to interrupt the choking silence.

"You're almost there." Juno warned him and, sure enough, he could see the square of light that indicated a door. He lifted an arm and let loose a burst of Force energy that buckled the door and blasted it clear out of its frame.

He vaulted out of the maintenance shaft and tumbled effortlessly back to his feet, taking a moment to gain his bearings. The lights on this level were just as dim, though there seemed to be more of them lit up. Thankfully, he didn't need Juno's help to navigate in the right direction, guided by the signs just visible in the emergency lighting. He was certain that if he'd taken a wrong step, she would have alerted him to the fact.

"How much of the station is damaged?" He queried as he went.

"The level above you is the only other which is accessible. All other levels are locked down. If there's going to be any survivors they won't be too far away. We may find that the rescue team has already done its search."

"If they're still—" Distantly, Galen thought he heard the sound of clanging metal and paused mid-sentence to look over his shoulder. Only when he looked back did he notice some bad scarring on one of the door frames; mostly hidden from approach. He hastened back to check out the damage.

"Galen?"

"Sorry, I thought I heard something." His hand traced the sharp, jagged mark in the doorframe as he leaned into the consultation room. It was too dark to see much of anything so he ignited the blue saber and swung it up high above his head.

He did a double take.

Just above the doorway a hole had been torn into the ceiling; metal pried open. The floor beneath was strewn with shards of metal and there was a long score in the paneling beside it. At the far side of the room a man in scrubs sat back against the wall, his head bent to one side, arms limp. The hole gored through his middle was so large that Galen could see the wall through it.

And the _blood…_

It had dried to a horrendous dark puddle that had pooled out across the floor.

He backed out of the room, mind whirling with the possibilities of what could have killed that man in such an unusual fashion. The wounds hadn't been cauterized, so they weren't made by a saber or blasters.

"Galen?" Juno's worried voice urged.

"There…might be something else here." He replied, edging up the corridor towards his destination. Perhaps there had been a plan after all. He quickened his pace then, using the Force to augment his speed as he darted down the corridor to the second docking bay. This was one smaller but the destruction mirrored that of the first. So many dead. A damaged ship squatted; skewed on its landing struts, partially blocking another craft from view.

Thankfully, the obscured ship was the one they had been searching for.

"I've found the shuttle." He informed Juno, crossing over to where the loading ramp stood open. The ship had been powered down and as he leapt up into it, he called out a greeting. He did not expect a reply and neither did he get one. "It's a maintenance craft. They must have been engineers."

"Makes sense if they thought the emergency was due to a mechanical failure of some kind."

"Well there's no one here now." He leaned into the cockpit and found it empty. It struck him as odd that the pilot wouldn't have stayed to watch over the craft whilst the others carried out their investigation."

And then the com-channel crackled and a disjointed voice came over the link. He jolted forwards to respond.

"Starkiller here. I read you."

The voice hissed over the line in sheer relief. "Thank the stars. I thought we'd been abandoned. Who is this? Where's our pilot?"

"I don't know. He's not here. I'm here to rescue the rescue team." Oh the irony.

"Who? Wait, how many of you are there?"

"Just me on the ground."

There was a moment of shocked silence and then he heard hasty whispers as the team dissolved into panic.

"Listen." Galen tried to bring the conversation back under control. "Let me worry about that. What's the situation? Where are you?" He had to repeat the last question twice before the man responded directly.

"We're trapped. It'll take more than one man to get us out."

And then there was uproar and a loud clatter that suggested the device had just been knocked from his hand.

Gritting his teeth, he turned away and renewed communication with Juno. "Is it possible to get a lock on their position?"

"Working on it." He could hear the concentration in her voice. "Yes. Got it. Okay, third level, close to the elevator. I'd suggest going back the way you came in and continuing up the maintenance shaft.

"Is there a docking bay on that level?"

"No. They'll need to bring any survivors down to their ship. There's no other way to collect them without blasting a hole in the side of the station."

Hoping that wasn't going to be too much of a problem, Galen abandoned the shuttle and headed back down the way he had come, not pausing for a moment. And then he was climbing up to the next level, aware of the passing of time and of how little remained. He wondered whether the team had managed to find any survivors at all, or whether they had waded fruitlessly through the bodies of the dead.

He emerged onto the third level into the same gloomy light and took a moment to listen for any tell-tale signs of trouble – or perhaps even the ruckus of the rescue team. In this corridor more people lay lifeless in the shadows, the walls warped and badly damaged from attacks made with the Force. Here a few men in security uniforms lay dead, their blasters still clutched in their cold hands.

A short way up, another gaping hole had torn most of the floor away, forcing Galen to jump across to continue on his way. It seemed whatever had gouged that man on the level below had also made its way through this level, too.

The corridor was shorter than the others he had been down and passing through a badly damaged doorway he stepped into a huge rectangular space with a wide, sweeping window looking out into beautiful, eternal space. A row of chairs had been positioned to look out at the view whilst further back; sections of the room had been partitioned off with temporary screens.

He sensed life.

"They're in the room across from you. If you give me a moment, I'll try and get the door open." Juno confirmed what he had felt.

Galen picked his way carefully across to the huge blast doors; already trying to estimate how long it would take to carve a hole into them with his lightsaber. At his feet, close to the doorway, a strange looking droid with arrow-shaped eyes sparked and hissed from where it had been torn in two.

He threw out his senses, touching along the shadows with his mind for any sign of danger. But there was nothing at all. Whatever had been here was gone now.

"Juno, how—"

The mechanism in the door kicked into action, answering his half-formed question.

Blasters fired and his fighting instincts kicked in immediately; the first shot searing past his head as he dodged; the heat of it scorching his hair. The second was reflected back from the hissing blue saber now alive and ready in his palm.

The word 'wait' was barely out of his mouth before more blaster fire came his way, forcing him to roll to the side to avoid being clipped. Tumbling back to his feet he outstretched a hand and caught the one attacking within a bubble of Force energy. It was a droid much the same as the one already lying broken at his feet. Galen's fingers curled into talons as he held the energy close, suppressing his attacker.

"We can't control it. It thinks you're a target." An alarmed voice piped up, alerting Galen to the number of people cowering behind the temporarily pacified droid. His fingers closed instinctively and the Force crushed the droid into a useless lump of metal.

The saber in his hand shut off and Galen straightened, his dark eyes flashing across the frightened faces pressed back against the far side of the room. One tall, well built man stepped forwards to greet him and for all his size and strength, he moved cautiously. Something had definitely spooked them.

"Did you…get rid of it?" His voice was gruff.

"Get rid of what?"

"The droid." After a moment of silence the man scowled. "You didn't see it? The walker? It's still out there?"

"Close the doors! Close the doors!" A panicked shriek sent a wave of terror across the pale faces in the gloom. Galen wasn't sure if it was a warranted reaction or a delirious one. Either way, he could feel the levels of terror rising even as the spokesman turned to try and calm them.

And then, quite suddenly, they were no longer alone.

He wasn't sure whether he had heard or simply sensed the walker as it dropped into the large room behind him. And yet, as he turned to face it, it was already tearing across the room towards them; the lights in its Arachne-shaped 'face' gleaming at him through the dark.

A horrified, piercing scream had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end and quite suddenly they were out of time. Ducking low, he Force-dashed past the walker, igniting his saber again to draw its attention from the people inside the room. What he didn't account for, however, was its agility.

The walker turned nimbly on a leg and in haste it sliced the air between side and elbow, tearing into his sleeve. He rolled to safety and bounded away.

"Juno!" He called, aware that the walker was closing in fast. "Shut the door!"

"What's going on?"

The walker was on him again and he dropped to the floor, sliding forwards to avoid its next lethal swing. The limb shrieked above his head, twisted and drove downwards forcing him to tumble to the side. He winced at the sound of metal on metal.

"Galen?"

With a palm to the ground he twisted back up onto his feet, brandishing his saber up across him in preparation to defend against another strike.

The walker crouched, its mandibles – a dozen triangular metal plates – clacking angrily together. It seemed almost to be sizing him up, adjusting its height so that it's 'eyes' fell parallel with Galen's.

And then it lunged with such speed that Galen's heart skipped a beat as he drew on the Force and threw a bone-shattering blow back at it. It struck the walker so hard that it was thrown back onto its rear limbs, shrieking as it battled to regain its footing.

"You need to shut the door. There's a walker down here!" He replied to a worrying Juno, back-flipping to safety as the lithe walker came at him again.

"What about you?"

"I'm—" He swung his saber and felt the impact as the blade bounced off of the walker's lancing limb, leaving a blackened groove in its wake. "—keeping it distracted." He ended, trading blows with the excessively violent machine.

"You want me to shut you_ in_ with that thing?"

"Juno." His tone was almost pleading as he put more distance between him and the walker, alighting a huge shelving unit and dropping down the other side. He looked back over his shoulder to see the walker clearing it in a single leap and knew, in that moment, that outmaneuvering the machine was going to be near impossible.

Allowing himself to fall backwards he raised both lightsabers to fend off the walker's dangerous limbs as its body came crashing down over his. He heard the screech of saber against metal and peered through the blaze of blue and green light to where the walker fought to break through his defenses.

Off to his right, the huge doors finally slammed closed; securing the rescue team and survivors safely inside.

Straining to keep the walker's attack from hitting its mark, Galen twisted his wrists; wrenching the lightsabers sharply in opposing directions. The tip of that sharp limb was carved deeply but still it had not been severed. The mechanical Arachne twisted free, giving a mechanical shriek of rage, and Galen was rolling out of harm's way, shouldering between the screens to put as much cover between him and the walker as possible.

The screens, however, were hardly enough to hold the mechanical monster at bay. It crashed through them with all of the uncouth ferocity of a bull rancor, sending equipment and partitions flying in large broken chunks.

Galen had the advantage, at least, that the walker could only do real damage at close range. He'd noticed a hollow in its 'chest' which looked as if it had been made to hold a laser of some description. Fortunately, the laser had been removed or never installed in the first place. Unfortunately, the walker's lithe, agile form was so light that its speed was unlike anything Galen had ever witnessed in a droid.

He felt it closing in again and dug a heel to pivot around and meet it head on. His blue saber sliced the air but the walker reacted instantly, spinning as it leapt so that it landed 'feet' first on top of a huge, lifeless generator.

He threw up a hand, summoning Sith Lightning and sent a bolt of the blue energy cracking against the walker's head. Its body convulsed for a moment and then it launched at him, tilting its body so its legs turned towards him like spears. He brought the energy into a tight shield around him and felt the sudden flare of pressure as the machine bounced off and hit the ground in a sprawling mass of limbs.

He thrust his arm forwards and released the hilt of his activated saber, using the Force to guide it in a downwards arc. The blade cut down between the plates along its midsection and then returned to his waiting hand. But if he had thought that the attack would slow the droid down, he was about to be sorely disappointed.

After a strange lurching motion, the walker was back on its feet, pressing the attack without hesitation. Unlike Galen, it had no 'survival' instinct imprinted in its programming. Only the need to maim and kill. Each stab of its serrated legs ripped grooves into the ground as he dodged, making the footing precarious. Galen's arms burned as he moved to intercept and dodge each attack, his sabers bouncing off of the droid's metal shell with an angry spitting sound. Even his most powerful swings only seemed to carve a saber-thickness deep. If he could just take out some of its legs, its movement would be hindered enough that it wouldn't pose such a threat.

And the time…they were _running out of time_.

The mismatched lightsabers flared in his hands now and he spun, arms extended, to clip the walker as it descended on him. The contact drew a spray of bright sparks that showered down on his unprotected head.

Each sharp jab made at him was parried, filling the air with the acrid smell of burning metal. Curls of smoke rose upwards from its damaged limbs, but it's many-eyed 'face' gleamed intently – as if it sensed it was getting the better of its opponent.

Galen lunged with a high-sweeping strike and the walker immediately dropped low, its legs adjusting so that its body hovered just above the ground. Then the mechanisms on its limbs released, thrusting it upright and forwards so that it slammed into Galen's chest and sent him flying across the room. He smashed into one of the untouched screens and flipped head over heels, using the Force to control his fall so that he landed on his feet – winded but in one piece.

But he barely had time to draw breath before the walker was on him again and this time its first lunge drew a bloody streak across his arm. He danced out of danger, swinging sabers elaborately to distract the droid long enough to strengthen his defensive posture. Then he instigated the attack, launching in on a tirade of perfectly-executed twists and spins, one saber held offensively whilst the other defended his side from any surprise attacks the walker might think to launch.

The walker gave another lunge and he leapt to safety, landing acrobatically behind it. Its body reared up to follow him and as it turned over itself, its legs twisted so that it landed back on its feet despite its body being 'upside down'. The nimble flexibility of its double-jointed design was most certainly a threat and more than a little impressive.

And then the metal spider rushed him, misaiming another strike that had its leading limb sinking deep into the grille beside him. It struggled for a moment to free itself, giving Galen ample opportunity to regain control of the fight, cutting a smoking 'X' into the intricate chest plating designed to flex and move and protect the circuitry beneath.

They danced circles around each other, the walker almost landing a string of blows that Galen had to dodge at almost blinding speed. It seemed to him, almost, as if the walker was improving; getting faster and more accurate.

Or perhaps he was just tiring?

He thrust a blast of Force power forwards with one hand but the walker dodged, driving forwards at an incredible pace. Galen barely had time to throw himself clear, reaching out to grab a piece of debris with the Force and bring it slamming down. Unfortunately he had underestimated the impact at which it landed and when the walker dodged it the floor ruptured; its structure having been vastly compromised from the sustained attacks.

Both Galen and the Walker went down with the debris.

* * *

><p>"How many of you are there?" Juno asked when she finally made contact with the trapped rescue team.<p>

"Twenty-five in total. Twelve of those part of the rescue crew. Thirteen survivors."

"All able bodied?"

"Unfortunately not. Four will need carrying and a lot of my team were injured trying to search the station for any signs of life. We were not prepared for what we walked into. That thing this Starkiller is fighting killed three of my men. Good men, they were! If it hadn't been for the doors, we'd all be dead. I don't much like our chances."

"Your chances are just fine." Juno's voice was firm. "Only four are wounded?"

"There are others but I'd say they could get by on their own two feet."

"You'll need to get back down to your ship. We're running out of time but as soon as the danger has been eliminated, Starkiller will guide you down."

"I don't think we'll have enough space for everyone." He continued in a hushed voice, clearly concerned about inciting more panic.

"There is room on my ship." Juno informed. "Keep everyone calm. I'll inform you when we're ready to open the doors."

* * *

><p>For Galen, his fall was lucky in that a sheet of curved durasteel had fallen over him; acting as a shield against anything else that had come down after. He was still seeing stars as he absorbed his new surroundings on the level below. The walker was there, standing quite still – as if it had gone into standby.<p>

Was it waiting for him to make the first move?

From the gaping hole above them a sheet – that had been dangling from a hook of twisted metal – dropped down into the room and the walker was on it in seconds, leaping to snatch it from the air. Its lethal limbs tore it to pieces until it was satisfied that it was 'dead'.

Galen watched in disbelief as the walker settled back down to wait – just like a spider waiting for unsuspecting prey to fall into its trap.

Realization struck him then. The droid did not use sound or regular sight to locate its enemies. It used movement. If he stayed perfectly still the odds are that he would never be found. But, if he tried to move…

Bracing himself for the theory to be proved correct, he drew upon the Force and poured the energy out across the room, touching over objects to use as a distraction. And, when he had eight items of decent size, he enveloped them with the Force and hefted them smoothly up into the air.

The walker came to life immediately, turning a complete circle as if struggling to decide which 'enemy' to pick off first. And one at a time Galen hurled the objects at the arachne machine with as great a force as he could muster. It did its best to twist and dodge, managing to knock some of them away. Others struck hard, denting panels in a way that made them awkward to move; hindering its motions.

If he could just locate the motion sensors and destroy them…

With a final effort he dragged up three chunks of twisted debris and hurled them, simultaneously, at the walker. It reared to strike but two of the three pieces struck hard against one of its back limbs, warping the joint that refused to flex back into its optimum shape. The walker gave a mechanical screech as it tried to move the damaged servo and then Galen was back, lightsabers in hand.

The walker whirled to attack and Galen ducked expertly beneath its swings, tumbling into a roll beneath it with sabers still active. As he span, the blades licked up, catching the walker on the underside.

The walker ducked it's 'head' and followed him into the roll so that when he found his feet and turned, he came face to face with it's eight glowing 'eyes'. Risking injury, he thrust out with both sabers, striking it in two of those eight glaring lights, seeking to find the location of the motion sensor. The impact sent the monstrous creation into spasms and it flinched away – though only momentarily. Galen stabbed forwards again before the walker could intervene, putting out another 'eye'.

And then he made a hasty retreat, throwing back a burst of Sith Lightning to slow its pursuit—except that when he turned to see how close behind the walker was, it was to see it staggering carelessly about on the floor. Making most of the disorientation he let both sabers fly, bringing them in one after the other to strike at the exact same spot. The beast gave an angry whirring sound and took another step before Galen sent the blades spinning back on the offensive, mirroring one another as they arched around to strike again.

In the end it took four strikes to take off one of its limbs.

Unfortunately, it still had seven more – enough to keep it on its feet and moving towards him again – albeit slightly unsteadied. He lifted both sabers as if to ward it off, except the swift motion seemed to incite it. The walker rushed him, knocking him off-balance and then he was falling between a narrow gap in the debris with the walker looming; scrabbling away at the pieces in a desperate attempt to reach him.

Galen already had a plan.

He stretched out with the Force, touching across the ruined room to where the broken limb lay motionless. And, with deadly accuracy, he snapped it forwards; plunging it straight into the back of the walker – whose reach was so close now that Galen was certain his time was limited to seconds rather than minutes. The walker screeched as it reared up, twisting its legs as if it might be able to pry the intruding piece of metal out of its body. And in that moment Galen swung forwards with a saber in hand. He felt the resistance of its armor and then the tip of the blade worked between the edges of the plates and stuck there; hissing greedily. The walker thrashed to free itself which proved a costly mistake. Its motion jerked the weapon, tilting the blade and somewhere, inside its body, something of importance was severed.

It fell forwards heavily, draping its body across the narrow opening that Galen had fallen into; still jittering and whirring as if fighting to carry on.

The saber's blade retracted and dropped into Galen's open hand and then, after a long moment of quiet he dared to move, pulling himself carefully up through the gap between the walker's prone limbs. Only then, standing at its side did he lift the saber to ensure that the walker was truly dead.

It took two more hacking swipes before it powered down completely.

* * *

><p>"It's perfectly safe." Galen tried to reason, painfully aware of the time—or more specifically, the lack of it. Was he maybe feeling slightly out of breath? Had the generator already run out of power? But still the people were frightened and he turned, frustrated, to the squad leader who was supporting a colleague in standing. "We need to get them out of here. Now."<p>

The man nodded gravely. "Those who can move on their own two feet; help those who can't. The Jedi has dealt with that walker so there's no reason we can't all get out of here safely."

Amongst the gabble someone broke into staggered sobs and Galen had to forcibly stop himself from grinding his teeth in frustration. "Let's go."

"Everyone stay together and we'll be fine. I'll lead the way." And the squad leader raised his arm, waving a glowrod briefly in encouragement. To Galen, he said: "Are you alright to hang back and follow last? I know the way down to the shuttle from here."

"Fine. Just be careful. That walker opened up a few holes in the floor and if we lose light." He indicated the glowrod. "That will be all that keeps you from falling to your death."

The man nodded and then moved to rally his crew and the survivors, leaving Galen to wait by the door impatiently. The frightened complaints and continued sobs did nothing to make the time go any quicker but he had to admire the man for his patience in encouraging them all to follow.

And, when they filtered tentatively out he was left to trail behind with those who had opted to carry the wounded. The pace was excruciatingly slow though he dared not check with Juno on the time remaining. If the lights went out before they were at the shuttle he could full well imagine the panic that would ensue.

He wished, with a pang of sadness, that Kota had been there with him. The old man had been a stubborn fool at the best of times but he knew how to make people listen to him. How to get people to follow him. Kota had gotten through to him after all and that had been no easy feat.

The crackle of his com-link took him by surprise and he ignored the questioning looks being thrown back at him as he answered, keeping his voice low. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. Listen, from your signal it looks like you're still some way out from where the shuttle is positioned. Time is short."

"I know. It's taking longer than I expected."

"The shuttle isn't big enough for everyone. Some of those survivors will need to be brought to the _Rogue Shadow_. I'm heading there now."

"I'll meet you there."

"Stay safe."

He looked up just in time to narrowly avoid colliding with the person in front who had a young, wounded Togruta slung across his back. "What's the hold up?"

"An obstruction, I think." Someone else piped up.

"Not another droid?" Came another panicked voice.

"No." Galen insisted firmly, determined to stamp that idea out before it had time to take root. "I would know about it if there was." A lie, perhaps, but there was no time for another outbreak of alarm. "Wait here."

It turned out that the hold up was simply because they had reached the maintenance shaft, which wouldn't have been a problem if there hadn't been wounded amongst their numbers.

"I don't think people will be able to climb down whilst carrying someone." The leader replied worriedly.

"I might be able to help with that." Galen replied. "We'll send the able-bodied ones down first and I'll support those carrying the wounded. You go down first to make sure none of them lose their nerve and bolt for the shuttle."

The leader agreed without a fuss and swung down into the maintenance shaft. After what felt like an incredible length of time he called back and Galen sent the others down one after the other until he was left only with those carrying the infirm.

"Okay, we'll need to do this one at a time."

"But, how—"

"—Let me finish. I'm going to support you in carrying as you go down. Don't ask questions. Just trust me."

Thankfully someone volunteered to go first and Galen followed him through into the maintenance shaft, holding himself steady as he used the Force to support the injured civilian he carried. It took a surprising amount of concentration to ensure that he didn't accidentally heft the semi-conscious man from place, lifting him in a way that he didn't put any weight on the one supporting him.

The man looked up, surprised at the sudden ease, but Galen urged him to hurry up, releasing the energy the moment they were back on secure ground.

It continued much in the same fashion until the very last man – the one carrying the wounded Togruta – backed up warily when it was his turn to go. From his uniform he had been a doctor at the facility before it had been attacked.

"I can't." He stuttered. "Heights."

Trying not to lose his temper, Galen tried to reason with him. "You saw the others all got down safely. I didn't come this far to let one of you fall when we're close to getting out."

"I _can't_!"

"We haven't got time for you to lose your nerve."

"But I—"

"Just hand her over."

"What?"

"The Togruta. I'll carry her. You can go down by yourself."

"Well, I…if you're sure?" He asked, although he was already moving to set the wounded girl on her feet. Unfortunately, her feet seemed incapable of holding her up and Galen caught her by the elbow as she sagged.

"Go. We've got to keep going or the others will leave us behind."

It took a seemingly long moment for the doctor to gather his courage at the top of the ladder but, eventually, he descended and, with Galen hovering by the entrance ready to support him if he lost his nerve, he reached safe ground quicker than expected.

Only then did he turn back to the shaky-looking Togruta, offering her a grim smile. "Ready?"

She looked less frightened than the man carrying her had but her arms coiled tightly around his neck as he descended, moving carefully so as not to encourage her to hold on any tighter. If he hadn't been struggling to catch his breath before, he certainly was now. Even still, she weighed almost nothing as he moved down the ladder and pulled himself through the door onto the next level where everyone was waiting.

"That's everyone." He gasped, pulling lightly on the girl's arm to try and loosen her stranglehold. The act only seemed to have the opposite affect, the Togruta clearly believing he was trying to set her down.

And then the lights went out.

After the initial burst of panic, Galen decided that the loss of light was probably a blessing in disguise; the depth of that darkness able to hide the bodies of the dead left littered in the corridor and rooms. He took point, using the force to lead them safely – single file – down towards the inpatients docking bay. With the station powerless and silent, it was easy to hear the unmistakeable drone of the _Rogue Shadow_'s engines as Juno engaged the repulsor lift drive.

It was a welcome sound.

The Togruta he carried seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness; something that concerned him. It would be some time yet before she or any of the others would receive adequate medical attention.

Then they were in the docking bay where the gleam from the_ Rogue Shadow_ cast a long strip of light to guide them. The other shuttle was powering up, too and as they drew closer Juno appeared in the entrance above the ramp and waved them over with a flashlight.

"We'll take the worst of the injured with us. We'll be able to get back faster."

"Our pilot?" The team's leader asked.

"Is he the unconscious Cerean?" Juno asked.

"No. We found him when we arrived and took him onboard. He leant us the droids."

"It's likely the pilot is dead." Galen interrupted. "Have you got anyone else who can fly?"

"We have."

"Then get your men aboard."

"I'll send you the co-ordinates." Juno replied, hastening back across the deck to her own ship. Galen – indicating that the wounded be carried onto the ship – followed after.

"Are we going back to the _Armistice_?"

"Yes. It has a well-equipped med bay and it has left Corellia in order for us to return. Safer to give out co-ordinates to a ship that can be moved than to a stationary hospital."

He nodded in silent agreement and moved to set the Togruta down on a bunk.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know." Galen's dark eyes flicked across to hers. "Why would he do all of this and then leave without waiting for us to arrive?"

She squeezed his hand. "I don't know."

Something wasn't right. He didn't know what it was but he couldn't help but feel he had overlooked some detail that would have this add up.

"What about you? Do you need patching up?"

He looked down at the bloody tear in his sleeve and gave a shrug. "It can wait."

"Yes, but not too long." She gave him a light hug before moving back towards the cockpit. He followed after her without a word.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**29th July**


	35. Puppet

**Disclaimer: I do not - and will not ever - own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Firstly, a massive apology to the delay in this chapter. I was hoping it would only be a couple of days late but unfortunately getting our internet installed into our new place proved a lengthier process than planned. Then, when I finally got the internet running I realise that I can't find my keyboard anywhere and had to go out and buy a new one. In any case, I do hope it was worth the wait. A huge thank you to all of my supporters, including you wonderful people who take the time to review and those who have subscribed to this story! Huge credit must also go to Liisiko who takes the time to help me even during a busy schedule.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 35 - Puppet<strong>

**Location: _Rogue Shadow / Armistice_**

* * *

><p>He sat in the co-pilot chair, wrapping up his arm – the end of the bandage held between his teeth as he rearranged the folds of fabric around the wound.<p>

Juno was staring out through the viewport, a line between her brows indicating that she was deep in thought. She spoke up just as he was tucking the edge of the bandage into place.

"What was it like in there?"

"He'd been—thorough." It was the nicest word he could think of for all the dead bodies lying piled in the hallways. She didn't need that kind of detail.

"Do you think he was looking for something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. But maybe he wasn't intending to get our attention at all. Maybe he'd been after something in that hospital and he left because either it wasn't there or he had found it." She shook her head slowly.

"Like some sort of medical supplies?"

"Maybe. Think about how unhinged he could be by now. If he was denied something he'd not think twice about taking down anyone who was in his way."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"There's always the possibility that he died."

Galen's head whipped around at that.

"Well, think about it. Maybe he got in over his head. He got tired. Clumsy. They surrounded him or led him into a trap: pushed him out of an air lock!" She fell silent for a moment and then continued in a quieter tone of voice. "Or maybe he was wounded and he realized that he wouldn't be able to face you in that state."

"The senators should have told us about this sooner. Too many people died."

"But we rescued some," Juno reminded him, though the lives of a mere handful of people certainly weren't enough, not compared with all those who had died there. "And that walker has been permanently rendered out of action."

_The walker…_

"Where do you think that came from?" he asked.

"Maybe it came with the clone?"

He shook his head. "It was built by the Empire."

"But where would he have gotten hold of something like that? Unless…" Their eyes locked. "Unless Vader…"

"No." Galen cut her off. "_Impossible_. Vader wouldn't take him back, not after everything that has happened."

"He would if it benefited him in some way," Juno pressed on carefully.

"He failed. Vader doesn't accept failure."

They lapsed into a silence that remained strong until PROXY joined them in the cockpit; hovering just behind their chairs. "Master, some of the wounded civilians are in very bad shape. I've done all I can but I am not a medical droid."

"You did a good job, PROX. Leave them for now." Galen pushed himself up from his chair and turned back to Juno. "I'm going to need to meditate on this."

Juno looked up, concerned and thoughtful all at once. "Do you want to tell me about that? The ones you were having before?" She asked, remembering the short conversation they had had before he had set foot on the medical station. Talk of visions had darkened his mood, after all, and she could still remember how plagued he had been by the ones before; back when he had thought he would be responsible for Kota's death.

"Later," he said. "We'll talk later."

It was _always_ later.

* * *

><p>The ground rumbled beneath his feet and in the dark a hulking shape moved; its head turning so that he caught the light reflected in one of its monstrous eyes. And then the eye expanded and it was no longer the eye of a monster, but the shape of the Death Star; gleaming in the light of a neighboring sun. He saw the superlaser, primed and deadly. What he did not see was its target. He tried to turn so that he could but the vision held him fast, forbidding him to extend his line of vision. The intensity of the green light was blinding and yet he could not look away. And then the energy was released and the world collapsed, taking him with it.<p>

He died a strange death in his vision, lost in burning, endless green light. Around him, for a split second, a chorus of voices cried out in fear and agony. Young and old. Male and female. Human and alien.

They were silenced at once and as darkness poured into his vision another voice filtered through into his head.

_"You're my only hope…you're my only hope."_

Galen pulled out of his vision as if surfacing from water, shaking and disorientated, gasping for breath.

He was in the training room aboard the _Rogue Shadow_, having taken advantage of the quiet now that their passengers had been taken down to the med bay upon arrival at the_ Armistice_. He hadn't been able to relax enough to slip into meditation before that had happened and even then it had taken some time.

It had all been a waste in any case. The Death Star held no answers about the dark clone's whereabouts or his motivations. If he could just get better control of the farsight then he could direct his energies towards where he wanted instead of hoping for a strike of luck. Unfortunately, without a teacher, it was very unlikely that he would gain mastery over that skill anytime soon. If ever.

He left the ship behind after confirming that it was empty and navigated down the corridors in a somewhat dazed state. His vision played over and over in his head as he went; taunting him with its lack of clarity. The Death Star wasn't new but the cloaked monster was. He couldn't help but wonder if his visions did him more harm than good.

He was so lost in thought that he almost missed PROXY standing close by. "Ah, there you are, Master." The holodroid responded in his usual jovial tone. "I was beginning to think that you were not intending to leave the ship."

"So was I."

The droid began to given an account of what had happened since they had docked but Galen couldn't focus at all, his mind lost in the darkness of that vision.

"Did you hear him?" The new voice dragged Galen from his daze.

"Who _didn't_ hear him? He was raving like a lunatic. I hope they've sedated him. Can you imagine the havoc he'd cause if he got out?"

"You think he might be dangerous?"

"I have no idea, but better to be safe than sorry."

The two men shouldered past on their way to their shifts and Galen paused to watch them go. "Who were they talking about, PROXY?"

"One of the survivors, Master. I was just informing you of the incident in fact."

"No one was ranting or raving the last time I saw them. Did something happen on the other ship?"

"It was a Cerean. The one they found on the docking bay upon their arrival. He permitted the use of his droids."

"Those assassin droids they were using to watch the door." Galen confirmed, his mind turning over the possibilities of this.

"Possibly, Master. I have no further information on them at this time. They are the prototypes for a design I am not familiar with."

"Where is he now, this Cerean?"

"Room 358c, deck 2. I can take you there if you like, Master."

He nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>The Cerean was sat upright in bed, his hands twisted amongst the bed sheets in a death grip. His whole body convulsed; perspiration beading on his sweeping brow, eyes fully dilated. He rocked back and forth slowly, muttering under his breath. No one held out much hope for getting any lucid answers from him. Not in a hurry, anyway.<p>

"Can you tell us your name, sir?" A nurse asked in gentle tones, busying herself with folding sheets so as not to look at him directly.

"My name?" he asked dazedly.

"That's right," she smiled calmly.

"Who are you?"

"We've already been through this, sir. You're safe and sound. You're in the med bay of an Alliance ship. No harm will come to you here."

"Alliance? I don't—"

"All you need to know is that you are safe. The rest of the survivors who came here with you are just down the hall. Is there anyone you would like to see? Anyone you would like us to contact for you?"

"No. No, no, no. I do not deserve to be safe," he spluttered, looking on the verge of tears. "I do not deserve it."

"You were a victim of a terrible event."

"Of my own doing!" he cried, flailing his arms in despair. His eyes looked set to explode in his head. "I unleashed the monster!"

"Here, here, drink this."

"I set him free," the Cerean murmured.

"It's just water. Drink."

He took it in his shaking hands and pressed the rim to his cracked mouth. The nurse, shaking her head, turned away; moving across to the senator waiting on the far side of the room, watching silently.

"He is in a great deal of distress."

Mon Mothma frowned, tapping a finger against her pursed lips. "This questioning does not appear to be getting us anywhere." She spoke quietly. "It is too soon to push him. Let's take a break. We can resume later once he is better rested."

"I'm not sure this is going to be a quick fix, Senator," the nurse replied carefully. "He has suffered great trauma."

"He might be the only one who can help us understand what happened on that station. All we need is a name. If we know the Cerean's identity, we can go a long way to finding out exactly who he is and whether he is more involved in this."

The nurse hesitated. "I'll see what I can do."

In the room beyond, voices rose in irritation, distracting the pair from conversation.

"Just let me through," Galen argued; his voice raised. "I only want to talk to him."

"I'm sorry. That just isn't appropriate right now—sir! Sir, wait! _Wait_!"

Galen had pushed impatiently past the nurse – PROXY still following close at his heel – and had opened the door separating him from the Cerean survivor.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mon Mothma's voice snapped him to an abrupt halt.

"I have questions," Galen replied, refusing to be baited into conversation. "Ones that need answering."

"So do us all, Starkiller. You have done your duty; now allow us to do ours."

"You don't understand," he insisted. "This could be important."

"Why do you think I am standing here?" The senator replied. "Because I can assure you it is not for my enjoyment."

"Just one minute, that's all I ask." And then he turned from the senator and took a step towards the survivor.

He froze again before the senator could intervene.

The Cerean's eyes were wide with fear, his whole body held still; like some poor, terrified prey-beast. It was an emotion of petrifying standards; one that kept him rooted even though he looked as if his mind were screaming at him to get away. The room fell deathly silent – as if the crippling terror was infectious – and the air became stagnant.

It was the Cerean who broke the silence first.

A strangled, broken cry tore from the alien's throat: "No-oo. No it can't be. It can't!" And he was trying to retreat now, pressing back until he was against the wall, his body curled up defensively. The nurse rushed to his side in an attempt to pacify him but he would not be calmed. "Keep him away! _Keep him away_. You fools. You fools. He'll kill us all!"

And he was fighting away from the nurse's grip as the med bay staff swarmed over to remove Galen from the room. For once, he did as he was told, backing up so that they weren't forced to touch him.

"I think it would be for the best." A doctor advised him sternly, once the door was closed. "If you do not come in here again."

"You don't understand. He has information that I need," Galen insisted.

"And what makes you think he'll say anything to you?" The doctor replied, gesturing worriedly over to two armed patrolmen.

"This is too important for him to keep secret."

"Leave the questioning to the people whose job it is." And to the patrolmen he said: "Escort him out, if you please."

"Don't bother," Galen snapped. "I'll show myself out." He left the room behind, cursing angrily.

It was a short while before PROXY attempted to speak with him.

"From his reaction to you, Master, I think it is highly probably that the Cerean has been in the presence of the dark clone."

"A safe assumption," he growled. "So the question is; why isn't he dead?"

"There is always a chance to survive a disaster. Some species choose to call these unlikely occurrences 'miracles' I believe."

"I call it suspicious."

"Where are we going, Master?"

"To find Juno. If that alien won't talk to me then maybe he'll talk to her."

"I suspect that Mon Mothma intends to lead on the questioning, Master. She seemed quite adamant that you not interfere."

"Would_ you_ answer any of her questions?" Galen replied curtly. "Because I know I wouldn't."

"But that is because of your aversion to her, Master. The Cerean would not hold such views."

It took longer to find Juno than Galen would have liked but eventually he caught up with her discussing some sort of technical issue with two older pilots. He stepped up towards them and caught her eye.

"Captain. I need to talk to you for a moment. Something urgent has come up."

Her eyes instantly flooded with worry. "Okay, I'll be with you in just a moment." She turned to excuse herself from the conversation and a minute later she was shaking the hands of both pilots and moving to join Galen. They did not stop to speak but moved slowly out of the room and continued on up the corridor. PROXY, thoughtfully, lagged a few steps behind.

* * *

><p>"Okay, tell me what's wrong."<p>

"That Cerean survivor definitely met the dark clone." He wasn't one to waste time with a lead up.

"How do you know? Did you speak with him?"

"I tried to. When I went in Mon Mothma was in the middle of questioning him. She got in the way. But that doesn't matter. Even if I had been given a chance to speak with him, it wouldn't have made any difference. His reaction made that clear enough."

"Ah."

"He thought I was the dark clone."

Juno could hear the thin line of distress beneath the words. He'd clearly been shaken by what had happened. To be reminded that you look like the one you despise so much, to know that they could have walked the same path had things been different.

"So that confirms that the clone was there on the station."

"I need your help."

"You want me to question him for you, right? I'm not sure the senator will agree to either of us getting involved in this. We have too much emotional and personal attachment." She caught his look and hastily added: "I didn't say I wouldn't ask, Galen. I will. Just don't get your hopes up. Neither of us are in the senator's good books, if you remember, and she'll know that you sent me."

"I need you to ask him how he survived."

She tilted her head questioningly.

"If he saw the dark clone he must have been close by. The clone would have picked up on his fear and yet he survived. Doesn't that seem odd to you? Besides that, his reaction to me was—_extreme_. He knows something. I'm sure of it."

"Maybe he was left alive to pass on a message?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea. I just—we need to talk to him. If we can't do it legitimately then I'll come up with another way."

"Galen…" She warned.

"This is too important, Juno. Something is going on but I—I don't know what it is."

"Hey." She caught him by the wrist and forced him to face her, finally coming to a halt. PROXY came to a stop at a respectful distance. "Talk to me." She didn't want it to come out as an order, but it certainly did have the tone of one. "What's wrong? Is this something to do with these visions you were talking about?"

He pressed the heel of his palm against his temple and gave a low groan of weariness. "I can't make sense of it all. Maybe they're linked. Maybe they're not. I don't know." He trailed off, meeting her eyes and relenting. His shoulders sagged. "I see the Death Star in my visions."

"The—" She couldn't get the words out. They caught in her throat and choked her.

"Not like we remember it. It's complete. It's whole. In my vision it's targeting on something."

"Targeting on what?"

"I don't know," he replied, frustrated. "I can't see. Maybe a ship. Maybe an orbital base. Take your pick."

"What else do you see?"

"A desert. A monster in shadow. There are variations each time. But there's a voice. I think I should know it but I can't place it." He closed his eyes as if to try and rekindle the memory and bring it back into focus. "It says the same thing over and over. 'You're my only hope'. That's all it ever says."

"Who is the 'only hope'?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe it's you?"

He shook his head, his jaw set in a stern line. "No. I don't think it is."

"We'll figure it out," she promised him, setting a hand on his arm. "Perhaps once the Cerean has been questioned it'll all fall into place. Maybe he knows something about the Death Star."

"Which is why you need to be there, Juno. You might see something that the others don't."

"I'll do my best," she replied. "But I'm only Captain in name, now. To save face for the Alliance. My word won't have much standing."

"Convince them. They know you," he urged, his mouth twisting into a grim line. "They know that you're not volatile."

"Like _you_, you mean?" Juno smiled.

"Exactly."

"Will you keep trying with the meditation?" She asked quietly. "Perhaps there'll be some clarity."

"I hope so, because if not, I think something terrible is going to happen."

Footsteps rang on the floor and the pair of them looked up, stepping away from one another to a respectable distance.

And then Sia appeared.

"Oh! There you are! _At last_! I've been looking for you everywhere. Some old pilot told me you'd gone off to deal with something urgent." She paused then, arching a brow as she flicked her glance from one to the other; a smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "Which I seem to have interrupted yet again." And then she broke into laughter at their expressions; one embarrassed and one annoyed. "I'm only teasing. Anyway, listen, I've got news." She strode over to them and set her hands up on their shoulders. "I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" Juno blinked. "To go where?"

"The details coming through are sketchy right now," Sia continued. "But word on the grapevine is that we're going after some sort of…battle plans."

"Battle plans? For what?"

Sia gave a loose shrug. "Who knows? I'm just looking forward to getting back in the air."

"When are you scheduled to leave?"

"The order is impending. I guess you can call this a goodbye."

Juno nodded hesitantly.

"Not a_ forever_ goodbye, but there's no telling where you'll be when this assignment is done or if I'll even return here. I'm just as likely to be shipped off elsewhere."

"Looks like things are starting to pick up," Juno replied.

"I think so, yes." Sia thrust out a hand at Galen and he looked at it somewhat warily before taking it. "Fight the good fight, Jedi."

He nodded stiffly.

"And Juno." Sia took Juno's hand then. "Stay safe." And she pulled the blonde pilot forward into a hug. Juno seemed to tense up a little at that, patting Sia awkwardly on the back.

"You too, Sia. Fly true."

* * *

><p>Between the raging headache and the phantom's incessant laughing, the dark clone was struggling to pinpoint the Cerean's signal. The pain in his head was so intense that his vision was spotted with vibrant lights, making the readings difficult to see. His hands shook violently as he tried to work the dials.<p>

"Do you think you can keep running?" The phantom mocked. "Do you think you can escape him? Make up for your failings? Be accepted back? You know that will not happen. You are as inferior as the one you chase. Perhaps more so."

"Shut up!" he snarled.

"You were called 'perfect' once. The scientist who made you was proud of what you were; his efforts finally rewarded with a creation that was mentally stable enough to carry out the work of the Emperor. You slaughtered the images of your original's friends with no hesitation. You passed every test. But something still went wrong. Madness is eating away at you; rotting your mind."

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to—"

"—Going to what?"

The dark clone whipped around to face him and lightning speared from his outstretched fingers. It lanced harmlessly through the robed figure's body and struck the far side of the cockpit, utterly destroying the displays where it hit.

"Careful, careful." The robed figure taunted. "If you break the ship that'll be the end for you."

The dark clone gripped the edge pf the console to try and keep his hands from shaking.

"What triggered it, I wonder? Was your 'superiority' only ever meant to be temporary? Last long enough until you'd completed your mission and fulfilled your 'destiny'? A disposable puppet?"

The dark clone curled his hands into fists and drove them down against the console as if to restrain himself from striking out again. His face was a picture of rage, the tendons in his neck cording from the strain of containing such anger.

Then, without warning, the phantom's laugh cut off and the brief silence was intruded by an incoming signal. The holo-display flared in response and suddenly Vader was in the cockpit with them, filling it with the sound of his mechanical breathing.

"M-master," the apprentice stuttered in shock. He probably would have dropped to his knees if he had not been sitting on the chair.

"You disappoint me," the Dark Lord replied; his voice as hard and cold as steel. "Did you really think you could hide?"

The dark clone didn't seem to hear the question. "I have tracked him, my Master. I _have_. He thought he could get away but I fooled him. I fooled him. I was wise. I was careful. I will succeed," his voice shook with fear and for a moment he was a boy again, alone and afraid in the dark bowels of an Imperial ship. "I will bring you his corpse, Master."

The phantom began to laugh again, hysterical and out of control.

"Be quiet!" The dark clone hissed. "Shut up!"

"Perhaps you do still have a use," Vader interrupted.

"Master?"

"Yes. There is still a place for you."

* * *

><p>Juno was aware of the senator watching her, aware of the doctor's withdrawn expression and even more aware of Galen leaning against the wall just outside the room where he would be able to listen in on everything being said. One wrong word. One wrong move and she'd be out of there quicker than she could blink an eye.<p>

She smiled, very faintly, at the Cerean and pulled up a chair.

He was lying in bed now, connected to tubes that funneled into various machines around him. He looked sunken and sallow and his eyes rolled as he asked: "Why aren't we dead?"

Juno drew in a shaky breath and hoped hat her voice wouldn't betray her nervousness. "You are safe. Or as safe as anyone can be in this time."

"But I saw—I saw—" His brow wrinkled deeply. "Am I going mad?"

"No. Your reaction is quite normal for one who has been through a traumatic experience," the doctor chimed in.

"We understand that you may not be up for questions," the senator continued. "But time is of the essence and the quicker we understand what happened at the station the quicker we can rectify it."

"You think I can give you anything worthwhile now?" He gave a burst of hysterical laughter.

"We think you know who is responsible," the senator replied.

"Oh, I know. I know. It was me. It was my fault. I was a fool and now everyone is dead."

"Your fault?" The senator asked.

"I just wanted to live," he exclaimed, "but at what cost? So many dead, but not me. Never me."

"You said this was your fault," the senator pressed.

"If a man releases a rancor to run rampage through a village, who is to blame? The rancor or the one who opened his cage?" He despaired. "I set the monster free."

"You're talking about Vader's apprentice. You were with him?"

"Him? _Him_? He's a monster. He killed so many people. So many."

"But why not you?" The senator urged; asking the question that had been on the tip of Juno's tongue.

"I don't know. I don't know. He left me for dead—took off in a hurry. I thought he was going to kill me. He came so close."

"Do you know why he left?"

"No." The Cerean looked deeply troubled, his anxiety escalating. "He was running, though. He kept talking to himself. Seeing things that weren't there."

"From who? Who was he running from?" Mon Mothma continued.

"A—a lord," he rasped, curling in on himself. "Lord Vader."

There was a deathly silence, and Juno could feel her heart come to a sudden halt. The Sith's name struck a chord of fear in her so deep and vibrant that she was ashamed of it. She felt like a coward.

"How do you know this?"

"I overheard him speaking. Speaking to himself. He was mad. Now_ I'm_ mad. Ha! Maybe it was contagious. Maybe you ought to all stay away."

"You're not mad," Juno replied quietly.

The Cerean looked up at her, his eyes suddenly lucid. "No?"

"No," she affirmed.

"I understand that this might be difficult for you," the senator continued, "But we really do need answers. Your knowledge could prevent another disaster. It could save countless lives."

"I only seem to bring harm, I'm afraid."

"You've made mistakes. I can understand that. But acknowledging your mistakes is one thing, trying to make up for them is another. This is your opportunity to do so."

"I don't know where he's gone if that's what you're asking. All I know is that he was a prisoner like me and I let him free. I let him free knowing that he would kill anyone in his way. I just didn't know that it would continue after we got out."

"Yes, he killed everyone except you," Mon Mothma mused sceptically.

"He said I could live if I proved useful. That's what he always said." His distress spiked and the doctor stepped forwards to intervene.

"We will need to take a short break so I can check on his medication."

"Very well." Mon Mothma frowned, looking as if she wanted to argue the matter. "We'll convene again in ten minutes. I'm sure the captain has other duties to attend to."

Juno frowned at the guarded dismissal. "Nothing that takes priority over this."

"I understand your concern, captain, but I have this well in hand."

"I may be able to identify links that might otherwise be missed." She was not going to back down without a fight – even if it was a well-mannered one.

"I understand, but too many questioners may confuse him and make the task more difficult than it needs to be. You can rest assured that any relevant information will inform your next course of action."

Juno felt as if she had pushed her luck as far as she could. "That would be appreciated," she replied, carefully; hoping she had curbed the irritation in her voice.

The woman swept out of the room and Juno hoped that Galen had gotten himself out of sight before she noticed him.

Only then did she speak to the Cerean.

"You're not mad. That man you saw this morning. You weren't imagining things." Her words were low and quick but he seemed to be listening intently. "The one you call a monster is his clone." She didn't want to get into the whole conversation about Galen also being one of those clones – it was far too complicated and completely unnecessary. "But we are going to stop him."

"Clone?" His voice was a disbelieving hiss. "A Force-user?"

She nodded grimly. "Yes."

"A clone…"

She watched him trying to process that information.

"So, that one I saw…?"

"He's on our side," Juno confirmed. "We've been searching for the mad clone for a while now. I'm sorry you got pulled into this."

He said nothing, his bloodshot eyes staring up at her. She hoped that he had believed her. Hoped that he would feel encouraged to give as many of the details as he could recall. And then Mon Mothma returned to hasten her out and his eyes dropped. Juno, without another word, stepped out of the room, doing her best not to feel affected by the senator's disapproval.

* * *

><p>She found Galen later, in a mostly empty mess hall, brooding over an empty cup. She dropped into a seat across from him and watched him until he relented and lifted his eyes to look at her.<p>

"I'm sorry."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. We know he was involved now."

"We also know that the clone was scared away from the station. He had meant to stay to close the trap once we arrived. And, if the Cerean is to be believed, Lord Vader was after him."

Galen's face was devoid of expression.

She reached across the table to touch his hand. "What are you thinking?"

"Something still doesn't feel right about this."

"What do you mean?"

"Why would the dark clone leave him alive? It doesn't make sense."

She shook her head. "He's losing his mind, Galen. For all we know, he might have thought the Cerean was dead. If Vader was after him, he would have panicked."

"No. He was left alive for a reason. You heard him. The clone told him that he'd be alive only for as long as he served a purpose."

"Galen—" She paused, not liking to question his instinct. Maybe he was right, but what if he was? There was no way to find out what the plan had been and she wasn't sure there had been one in the first place.

"He knew we would come eventually. He'd made sure of that." Something flashed in his eyes then; something furious and dark and horrified. He stood up so quickly his chair tipped up onto the floor, cracking sharply against metal. Those still lingering in the mess hall turned to look at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"He wouldn't…" Galen's voice was tense. "He _wouldn't_." His eyes snapped up, snaring hers and the look in them filled her with a growing sense of dread.

"What do you—?"

"—A transmitter. Did anyone check for a transmitter?"

"I don't know, maybe—"

"We need to check," he snapped. "Now."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for your patience!<strong>

**Next chapter is scheduled for: 18th August**


	36. Another

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Apologies for being a day late with this. As Saturdays repeatedly seem to be busy for me I think I'll change my updating day to a Sunday as I seem to be around more. Thanks to all my followers - both old and new. A huge thank you, also, to those who take the time to review. It is very much appreciated. And again, a big, BIG thank you to Liisiko, my beta. She spends a lot of time helping me out despite her busy schedule.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 36 - Another<strong>

**Location: The Armistice / Alderaan / The _Rogue Shadow_**

* * *

><p>Galen stormed in through the door of the med bay; his eyes darting around the room until they fixed on the nervous face of a trainee nurse sitting behind a desk. The lettering on the display screen casting an orange glow on her pale skin.<p>

"I need to see the Cerean."

The nurse paled further. "I'm sorry, sir. I've been told that no one is to disturb him now. Senator Mon Mothma has only just left."

"This is _important_."

"Please, sir, if you'd just calm down and wait—"

"What's going on here?" Another voice called. "Is there some sort of problem?"

"There will be if you don't let me through." Galen snapped.

The doctor's eyebrows rose. "Indeed?"

Galen gritted his teeth and tried to regain his composure. "That Cerean could have something on him which is leading the Imperials straight here to us. You _need to let me through_."

"Without word from the senator, we can't do that, I'm afraid."

"Are you listening to a word I'm saying? If you don't let me through there's a good chance that we'll all be in danger." He took a step towards the door to find the doctor moving around to intervene.

"We have to consider our patients, Jedi Starkiller."

Galen was just about to launch into another tirade when Juno appeared in the doorway behind him. She'd not had a chance of keeping up with his pace and looked slightly out of breath as she grasped the door frame to pull herself into the room.

"Shall I call for the guards?" The nurse asked timidly.

"No." Juno interrupted. "There's no need for that. If you won't let us in to see, can you look for it?"

The doctor frowned and after a tense moment, said: "Shei, where are the clothes the Cerean was brought in with?"

"The locker in his room." The nurse replied carefully.

"Okay." His eyes fixed back on Galen. "Wait here."

Galen didn't look back, but he could sense Juno moving to stand just behind him, a hand's breadth away. In his mind, the timer was counting down, the distance between them and destruction closing fast. Perhaps it was already too late.

The doctor reappeared after an agonizingly long time – though it was probably only a few seconds – some tatty garments in his hand. He was rooting through the pockets even as he approached them.

"Anything?"

"Give me a moment." The doctor replied, clearly not a man to be rushed into doing anything. He moved across to the table and shook the garment upside down. A key card and an assortment of other trinkets rattled across the tabletop but there was something among them that had Galen's heart sinking.

A black cylindrical object – so small that it could easily have been overlooked – rolled across the table.

"You were right." Juno breathed, spotting it at the same time he did.

Galen snatched the transmitter from the table, so quick that no one would have been able to stop him, and squeezed it tightly in the palm of his hand.

"Is it an Imperial device?" The doctor queried, sounding more alarmed now.

"Who _else_ would it belong to?" His voice was cold with fury. And then, under his breath: "I've been an idiot."

"How could you have known?" Juno defended. "No one knew."

"We need to get this away from here." He continued. "The clone could be here at any moment and if Vader has found him already, there's no telling who might turn up." The dark clone alone would be bad enough but now he was imagining an imperial fleet, a Star Destroyer leading the way. Vader's flagship…

A groan of pain emanated from the direction of the Cerean's room, drawing their attention. The elderly alien was standing in the doorway, his face hollowed with despair. "Please tell me this isn't true." He croaked.

"You should be in bed, Alin." The doctor replied swiftly, his scolding bearing the undertones of kindness.

"I did this." He wheezed.

"You have done nothing."

But Alin-Fa-Liir didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were fixed on Galen and though there was fear there, it was not because of him. It was because of what he believed was going to happen. "I released him!" The alien all but shrieked. "Why does nobody see that?"

The nurse was at his side, trying to placate him but he shook his arm free of her grasp.

"Can someone please tell me what this is all about?" The senator's voice was cold and stern as she swept into the room.

"Senator?" The doctor seemed surprised to see her.

"I was informed of a disturbance. I should have guessed at the cause." Her eyes settled on Galen and Juno.

Galen's accusing eyes swept back across the room, noting the sudden sheepishness of the nurse standing by the Cerean. Somehow she'd managed to get a message out to bring the senator back.

"The Cerean we brought back with us had a tracking device planted on him, Senator." Juno hastily relayed the information. "We hoped you would still be here when we arrived."

"A tracking device?"

Galen held it up for her to see, though he made no move to hand it over.

The senator's eyes narrowed. "It must be destroyed. Cut the signal."

"No." Galen's voice cracked like a whip. "It's too late for that. He's had plenty of time to track us. He probably already knows where we are."

"That is easy enough to fix. We _are_ on a ship."

"So that's it? Destroy the device and slip into hyperspace? Let him go again? You'd give up the perfect opportunity to end his destruction and avenge the lives he's already taken?" _Kota's included_, he thought, his temper rising. "We can lure him with this and set a trap of our own. It's time you kept to your side of the bargain."

"Insulting my integrity will get you nowhere, Starkiller. The decision is not mine to make alone."

"The decision isn't yours at all."

Behind him, Juno cleared her throat in subtle warning.

"The others must be consulted."

"And by then you'll find Imperials tearing through your ship." He snapped, reaching back for Juno. His fingers circled her wrist and pulled her closer to him. "I can't allow that to happen."

"You don't have a choice in the matter."

"Yes, I do." Galen's voice shook with barely restrained rage. "I'm not a mindless weapon you can use and discard as you see fit. I won't stand by and do nothing. I won't let that clone gain the upper hand again."

His grip on Juno tightened and, before anyone could react, he had launched from the room; almost dragging Juno off of her feet in the process.

"Galen! Galen, you need to slow down."

"There's no time."

"I can't keep up." She gasped.

Without warning he ground to a halt and Juno slammed into him, clearly unprepared for him to stop so suddenly. Thankfully, he'd caught her by the elbow and kept her on her feet.

"Here, keep this safe." He pressed the transmitter into her palm and scooped her up into his arms. "Hold on."

He launched into a full sprint, slowing only to send communication to PROXY to get the droid to begin preparing the ship to leave. Juno's arms were tight about his neck, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. And, when they arrived at the docking bay and he set her gently down, she swayed dangerously on her feet.

"Please don't do that again." She murmured, holding on to his arm.

"You used to pilot a fighter without any problem."

"That was different." She pointed out.

"Come on." He urged. "We need to get away from here."

Neither of them, as of yet, knew where they were going.

* * *

><p>Bail Organa looked up as his daughter re-entered the room, her brow etched with worry as she took up her seat again. Pale sunlight filtered in through the window of his Alderaanian estate and cast her face with shadows.<p>

"Something has happened?" He asked.

"Yes." She looked up at him and sighed. "I just received a message from Mon Mothma."

"Let me guess." The man gave her a wry smile. "She's having trouble with our young Jedi."

"It shouldn't come as a surprise." She replied. "But it is concerning, isn't it? The longer this goes on the less and less I can see a partnership working out. He's not like General Kota."

Bail's eyes darkened with remorse. "No. I think he's more like him than we first thought. They were both stubborn, both determined to do things their own way. They were always looking to the course of action rather than that of diplomacy. The only difference is that Kota was able to temper his emotion with caution. The boy cannot."

"But can we blame him? His influences and his training were built around the use of emotion towards destructive ends. And now that Kota is gone there is no one to keep him in check."

"There is Captain Eclipse." Bail pointed out.

"I worry about her."

"You should not. They are both strong."

"Strong, yes. Strong enough? Who knows?"

"So what exactly did Mon Mothma say?"

Leia relayed the message to him.

"And where are they now?"

"She doesn't know. They've yet to make attempts to communicate with them. I've asked that I be allowed to try and speak with them first. Our relationship with Starkiller is fraught with tension as it is. If he goes rogue, it's not going to be good for anyone. If we're going to part ways, I'd rather it be on good terms."

"And what do you think of Starkiller's plan?"

"It's a big risk, but truthfully, it might be the only chance we have of stopping another disaster from occurring. The people will begin to lose heart if they see the casualties we are taking."

"And?" He prompted, sensing there was something else bothering her.

"It seems to me that every move we make, the Emperor is always one step ahead of us. We think we're luring them into a trap only to realize – too late – that we're caught in theirs." Her expression tightened. "Can we afford to let Starkiller walk into a trap set by Vader?"

"Are you concerned about Vader's influence on him?"

"I worry about his ability to work with us against the Empire when he has so much history with Vader. This fight is personal for him. If he is tempted back to the dark side there will be no one left to stop him. His strength is both an asset and a liability. He walks a fine line. But what are we to do? With Kota gone, he is the only one left. We need him."

For a moment, Bail dropped deep into thought, his chair creaking as he leaned back into it. What he said next, took Leia by surprise. "There may be another."

"Another Jedi?"

"Contrary to popular belief, there are some that have successfully evaded the Empire's reach. I may know of one who may be willing to aid us when the time is right. If Starkiller no longer wants to help us – through his own choice or not – we do have other options, limited though they might be."

"Do the other senators know about this?"

"No. This particular Jedi is an old friend of mine. A certain Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The name rang with familiarity.

"Will he help us?"

"When the time is right." Bail Organa repeated gently. "But first we must prepare. The Empire's Death Star is on the move. If those plans aren't in our hands, I fear what the Emperor will do with that sort of power."

"Final preparations are underway now." Leia assured. "If all goes to plan, we'll have everything we need to organize a successful counter attack."

Bail nodded.

"I should make arrangements to contact the _Rogue Shadow_."

* * *

><p>"I've calculated a short jump." Juno replied, her fingers flying over the console as she tried to pinpoint some better locations. "It'll give us time to find a true destination to lure the dark clone. Any suggestions?"<p>

"According to my data, Captain, the choice is fairly limited." PROXY informed.

A list flared on the display and Juno began to calculate distances and times.

"We need somewhere with a low population." Galen interrupted.

"If he has any common sense left, he'll know this is a trap." Juno continued removing a number of possibilities from the list as she scrolled through.

"It doesn't matter." Galen replied. "All that matters is that he follows us."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kill him."

She flinched at that, her hands faltering on the keys. "What about Kota's plan?"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him grip the hilt of the green lightsaber.

"He seemed to think that would work but—honestly—I don't know."

"We need to try, at least." Juno replied, refreshing the list and filing through the remaining possibilities; her mind moving from one calculation to another and then back again to compare the data.

The ship's transmitter flared into life and the pair of them exchanged glances.

"Mon Mothma?" Juno guessed.

"Who else?"

"Would you like me to handle the calculations on your behalf, Captain?" PROXY chimed in helpfully.

"If you would." She flicked the switch to accept the transmission and leaned forwards in her chair, sucking in a breath. No doubt there'd be some sort of ultimatum. "This is the Captain Eclipse of the _Rogue Shadow_." Her voice was clipped with authority.

"Juno. It's good to be talking with you again." The voice startled them. It wasn't Mon Mothma at all.

"Leia?"

"I've had word from Senator Mothma regarding the transmitter you discovered on one of the survivors."

"That's correct. We intend to use it to lure the clone into a trap of our own making and end his part in this war before we suffer another catastrophe."

"Do you have a location?"

"We're working on that now. I'm thinking somewhere towards Cerea."

"To help sell the deception." Leia concluded in agreement. "That sounds wise."

"You are in favor?" Juno asked, carefully.

"I'm not going to try and stop you, if that's what you're asking. I trust that you are capable of diffusing this situation. I only ask that you be wary. This could be some sort of ploy to lure you both back into Vader's reach. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how dangerous that could be."

"We'll be careful, Leia."

"I'll arrange a location for you and inform the relevant parties." Leia continued. "I'll have the co-ordinates encrypted and sent out as soon as I have them. Is that acceptable?"

"It is. We'll be dropping out of hyperspace in approximately thirty-two minutes."

"I'll do my best to get something to you before then."

"Thank you, Leia."

"Now we will just have to hope that he is confident enough to step into this trap you've orchestrated."

"I don't think that will be an issue." Juno confirmed.

The conversation came to a close and, Juno, relaxing somewhat, hardly dared to believe that Leia had decided to side with them and approve their decision. It was nice to know they had someone on their side. She turned to say just that to Galen, only to find his seat vacant.

"Where did he go?"

"He did not say." PROXY continued. "Would you like me to monitor the ship?"

"Thanks, PROXY." She leapt out of her chair and sped out of the cockpit, just catching sight of him turning into the training room. She was through the door before it could close after him and he turned to look at her.

"Galen?"

"That voice in my vision." He replied. "It's _Leia_." He looked angry that he hadn't realised it before then.

Juno shook her head. "Leia? But what does that mean?" It scared her, in fact, to think of what it might mean; for the rebels to have to resort to their 'last hope'.

"I don't know." He replied, looking frustrated. "_Nothing makes any sense_."

"Hey." She touched his cheek and forced him to look at her. "Listen. We don't need to figure that out, just yet. Worrying about what might be will only get in the way of what is important _now_. You need to focus on winning this confrontation, especially now that we have Leia on our side."

He caught her hand as she started to withdraw and squeezed her fingers gently. And then, quite unprompted, he pulled her against him and held her close, tucking his face into the curve of her neck.

When he spoke, his breath was delightfully warm against her skin. "A change is coming. I just don't know what it is."

"Whatever it is." She murmured back. "We'll handle it."

He said nothing; only held her tighter.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued: 2nd September<strong>


	37. Temptation

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: What can I say? Huge apologies for not meeting my deadline for this chapter. For an IMPORTANT note on updates, please see the end of the chapter. Many thanks for your patience all you beautiful readers and reviewers. And, of course, a huge thanks to Liisiko who put a lot of work as beta into this particular chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 37 - Temptation<strong>

**Location: Moon orbiting Bestine IV**

* * *

><p>Galen's attempt at seeking more clarity from his visions failed. He saw nothing at all and eventually the frustration forced him to admit a reluctant defeat. He hadn't been gone long, but as he returned to the cockpit he could hear Juno speaking with Leia. He supposed that meant that they'd been given a location.<p>

"—It's as close as I could get you." Leia was apologizing.

"It will suit. Are they expecting our arrival?"

"Yes, preparations are already underway to evacuate the area."

"If we take the Corellian Trade Spine, we can be there in good time. If we leave it too long to put this plan into action we run the risk of getting outmaneuvered or facing another disaster. Patience is not a Sith trait."

"Indeed not." There was a momentary pause and then: "Is Starkiller there with you?"

Galen hesitated in the doorway and then drew back, out of sight.

"He's meditating."

"Juno, if there is any sign at all that Vader has personal involvement in this; you must be sure to avoid confrontation at all costs. I'm sure that you understand that we can't risk Starkiller falling back under his influence."

"He won't." Juno's reply was fierce.

"I'm not saying he will want to, Juno. But the Force is a powerful entity. He could fall back without even realizing it."

"I know him, Leia. He would never do that."

"I don't mean you any ill will, Juno. I do have your best interests at heart. I just don't want you to be put in a position where he could be compromised."

"I know you're worried about him."

Not just worried, Galen realized. They were afraid of him, too.

"But he's come a long way. He's far stronger than he once was," Juno continued.

Were they really so afraid that he might get tangled up with the dark side of the Force again? That he might allow himself to be dragged back into that smothering insanity? They made it sound like it would be so easy; as if merely being on the same planet as Vader could be enough to corrupt him. Did they truly think he was still so blind to it? There was no part of him that wanted that sort of power anymore. No part at all.

So wrapped up in these thoughts, he didn't even notice that the communication had come to an end until Juno raised her voice and called out to him.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

She turned to look at him and the apologetic look there aggravated him somewhat. What did she have to feel sorry for? She hadn't invited that conversation.

He dropped down into the chair next to her and for a moment there was an awkward silence – it had been so long since there had been any awkward silences between them that it took him by surprise.

"The _Armistice_ has made a jump to avoid detection by the clone." Juno continued at last. "And we've been given co-ordinates for one of the moons orbiting Bestine IV. It's in the direction of Cerea but, to be honest, it's nowhere near close enough to be convincing."

"So long as he comes after us, that's all that matters."

"What Leia said…"

"They're afraid of me." Galen voiced his thoughts.

"I don't understand a lot of things about the Force, Galen. I see you using it or—or manipulating it—everyday, but I don't understand what it is. But even when you were working for Vader, even when you were under the influence of the dark side of the Force, you weren't lost. Do they really believe you would fall so deep that you couldn't climb back out again? Could the Force even do that to you? Could _Vader_ do that to you?"

"I don't know." He frowned.

"The right answer was 'no'." She replied firmly.

Galen thought back to some of Kota's lessons on patience and ridding oneself of attachments. He had much to regret in not making the most of the old man's knowledge, even if he hadn't appreciated his lecturing at the time.

"I won't go back to him, Juno." He replied after a moment. He'd sooner take his own life than be pulled back into slavery. "Neither you nor Leia need to worry about that."

Even still, he was touched by her confidence in him. Either she was an incredibly good actress or she did, genuinely, trust that he was still the same man - or the perfect likeness of that man - who had died for the rebels all that time ago.

* * *

><p><em>The darkness moved; the rasp of a heavy body against ancient stone. Claws? Scales? Horns? Protruding teeth? It was impossible to tell, but he could hear the beat of its heart, like the rhythmic thump of a steady drum. It shook the walls, small bits of stone clattering to the ground. It shook the floor, too, so that he rocked from side to side as he attempted to keep his balance.<em>

_He called out and his voice echoed again and again, so distorted that the words were lost to a clamor of meaningless noise._

_But the unseen monster turned, its eyes glaring like white fire which expanded as the two eyes became one._

_Yet again, the single eye became the Death Star._

And everything shattered.

"Anything?" Juno asked, when he finally emerged from meditation.

He shook his head grimly. "There's something waiting out there. A hungering darkness. Something besides the Death Star." He shook his head. He remembered its warning growl; distant thunder. Something was awakening, some horrible power that had been resting undisturbed –_ until now_. He had almost been able to feel its strength; its dark power not dissimilar to the aura of a Sith.

"What do you think it could be?"

"It could be anything."

"Something to do with Vader?"

"Most likely. I can't think who else would be behind it."

They lapsed into silence, this one far more comfortable than the last – interspersed by the sound of the hyperdrive.

"By my calculations, Captain, we should be leaving hyperspace within three minutes."

And, almost down to the second, the ship lurched out of hyperspace just as PROXY had predicted. Ahead of them, piercing the darkness, hung a planet of such a vibrant shade of blue. Water planets, as far as Juno was concerned, were the most beautiful planets when viewed from above.

Given that, Juno wished they could have been visiting Bestine under better circumstances. She'd never had a chance to visit before and even now – so close to its perimeter – she wouldn't be landing. They were set for one of its moons; a much more remote and sparsely populated land that wouldn't mean putting entire cities at risk.

It was sad, really, that her view of the planet below was marred by said moon and the scattering of naval shipyards.

"We're going in cloaked. Don't want to draw any unwanted attention from those shipyards. PROXY, are you able to link through to Control?"

"Certainly, Captain. Opening an encrypted link now."

She left the droid working on communications as she pulled up the evacuation schedule Leia had sent across to them. "I hope they're ready for us. They've not had a lot of time to prepare and we don't know how much further the clone is behind us." She shook her head. "Come to think of it, we need to prepare. Do you have a plan?" She didn't look at Galen.

"Sort of."

Which probably meant _no_.

"I don't think it's wise to make this up as you go along, Galen."

"We wait for him to arrive and then I confront him. If I don't have to worry about anyone getting in the way I can focus on what needs to be done."

"And Kota's plan?" She knew she was bringing it up yet again, but she couldn't help but press him on it.

"It comes with greater risk. It might not work."

"Do you know why Kota stopped you from killing Vader on Kamino?" Juno asked carefully. "You could have done it, couldn't you?"

"He wanted to question him."

"And that's the only reason?"

"You're worried about what Leia said?"

"No." Juno replied. "I guess I'm worried about the effect it might have on you; fighting a clone of_ yourself_." It would be enough to rattle anyone and he'd already been through so much.

"Whether it's good for me or not, it needs to be done. I'm the only one who has a chance against him. There is no other choice."

To that, Juno said nothing.

* * *

><p>The colony still hadn't evacuated completely when the<em> Rogue Shadow<em> settled gently on its landing struts, the suspension allowing the ship to touch down with barely a jolt. Across the way, officials were still struggling with reluctant colonists; those unwilling to leave their livelihoods behind. The little moon looked, when viewed from the air, like a mix of industrial and agricultural land, though the crops grown most certainly could not have provided enough food to be exported. Juno suspected that the planet was kept mostly self sufficient, the fields and livestock feeding the workers who mined resources and prepared materials to ship out. And once the resources were used up? Well, the little moon would be rendered useless; maybe even abandoned.

The soft lowing of the nerfs fenced off from the settlement was a strange backdrop to the harassed voices of those trying to get the last of the evacuation done.

"Need any help?" Juno asked when a young lad of about eighteen moved across to greet them.

"Sorry about the delay. If the danger is not in sight, they don't see the need to rush. Some of them are refusing to leave."

"If they stay, they take their lives into their own hands." Galen replied, leaning slightly to peer past the younger man to where a small group argued. If negotiating didn't work, maybe frightening them would.

"Be nice." Juno warned, seeming to have read his mind.

"What's that saying? Be cruel to be kind? I won't have them here getting in the way."

In the end, however, it didn't take much of a threat to get them to move on. Galen wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. But when he snarled at them to get out or be torn to pieces by a servant of the dark side, their determination ebbed. And, instead of stubbornness, they were hesitant and wary and backed away.

Half an hour later and the last of the residents were evacuating – though many had insisted on taking some of their belongings with them. The nerf herd had grown bored of the commotion and had moved out into the fields.

He stood, watching the last of the people following the bend in the road and heard the familiar footsteps behind him.

Juno's hand settled on his arm. "They should be able to get far enough before he arrives."

"We've done all we can here." He replied. "The transmitter is planted. It's just a waiting game now." He set his hands on her shoulders and caught her eyes, hesitating to collect his thoughts.

"No." She leapt in to respond before he'd even conjured his sentence.

"Juno." He squeezed her shoulders. "I can't have you here, not when he arrives."

She set her jaw and glared at him. "You can't ask me to leave you. Not now."

"We have to assume his Force-using abilities are as great as mine, Juno. If you're close enough, he could drag the _Rogue Shadow_ from the sky and there's nothing you'd be able to do to stop it."

"You love me, don't you?"

He nodded. "Of course I do."

"Then let me _help_ you."

"You can help by keeping yourself safe. Juno, this isn't a battle you can get involved in."

"You're asking me to leave you?"

"Not completely." He tapped his com-link. "We'll still be able to communicate. It won't be different from any other assignment."

"But it _will._" She replied. "Because I wasn't far away those other times. I could get to your position within moments."

He leveled his gaze at her. "You worry too much."

She said nothing, refusing to back down.

"I need to be able to focus. I can't do that if I'm worrying about your safety. What was the point of evacuating these people if the person I care about more than anything else stays behind?"

"You're right, but it doesn't make it any easier. You shouldn't have to face this alone."

"It's how it has to be."

"Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I promise." He leaned forwards, bumping his forehead lightly against hers. "You'd best go."

Juno kissed him hard on the mouth and then, reluctantly, stepped away from him. His hands dropped from her shoulders and hung limp at his sides.

"Let me know when it's done."

"I will."

He watched her turn and move towards the ship, pausing to speak with PROXY. Probably confiding her worries about the battle ahead.

Galen wasn't particularly nervous. He'd never really felt nervous about any mission before. He'd had no reason to be, for one thing, having the confidence in himself to be able to overcome every challenge thrown his way. Even when facing Vader in battle, he hadn't felt any sort of fear. In fact, it would be more correct that he'd felt almost numb to the whole event, focusing on what needed to be done and not getting absorbed in the details. Only anger had punctuated that lethal, calm concentration and it was that same anger, now, which bubbled quietly beneath the surface.

Kota would have disapproved. But Kota wasn't there.

He turned to survey the deserted farm, the machinery silent, the collection of houses and outbuildings abandoned. He hadn't been able to promise that the people living here would be able to come back to find it all in one piece. The likelihood was that it wouldn't be. All things considered, though, it was a small price to pay. They'd still have their lives.

He glanced back across to the _Rogue Shadow_ to find Juno still speaking with PROXY. She was clearly in no great hurry to leave and he stirred impatiently. Every moment she lingered decreased the distance she could put between herself and them.

And then his senses prickled with warning.

He swung his head around, casting his eyes skyward as the edge of a huge shadow fell over him. Not the shadow of a cloud but the shadow of a ship. It was an older vessel, short and stout with a snubbed nose that directed straight down at their position. The directness of its approach left little doubt in Galen's mind of who was aboard.

The aura of darkness that emanated off of it was also unmistakeable. It was a wild, unrestrained power that pulsed with destructive energy.

The clone was here.

And Juno hadn't left yet.

The craft glided over their heads, coming in low to land, stirring the trees and grass into a wild frenzy. The nerf herd kicked up dust in agitation and stampeded in circles, unable to define which part of their pasture was safe and which was not.

The ship was so close now that he could see the door open, see the figure standing just inside it, braced with a hand against the frame. There was something else with him, too. But what it was, he couldn't tell. And then the clone was falling, cocooning himself with the Force so that, when he touched down, he was completely unharmed. The ship continued without him, dipping behind the line of trees.

Juno's name burst from him and he was running across to her as she and PROXY stared motionlessly up at the ship. He grabbed her arm and twisted her to face him. "_Juno_. What are you still doing here? How long is it going to take you to lift off?" There was panic in his voice now. Any moment the dark clone would be on them.

"Not long. Was that him? How did he get here so soon?"

"You need to_ go_." He replied, more forcibly than perhaps strictly necessary.

Juno started to respond, her brow furrowed, but his pleading look seemed to be enough to convince her to go without any further word. She grabbed the blaster from the holster at her hip and broke into a run.

"Go with her, PROXY. Keep her safe."

He unconsciously counted down the seconds and realized, to his despair, that there were too many.

She was perhaps three or four strides away from the _Rogue Shadow_'s loading ramp when he appeared – a smile stretched grotesquely across his face – and she turned, her blaster raised protectively as she continued to back up towards the vessel. She might have been afraid but her aim was steady.

"Please, don't leave on my account." The dark clone laughed. He was not alone. There was a hostage with him, a human child no older than nine years of age. The dark clone had a vice-grip on the back of the boy's neck. The child swayed on his feet, looking disorientated from the fall. Tears ran down his cheeks.

Galen felt his banked rage reawakening, stirring inside of him like the slow uncoiling of a mighty dragon.

"You look surprised to see me." The dark clone continued, turning to glance at the empty space beside him. "Don't they look surprised?"

It was a strange thing, to look upon one's own face and see it so twisted and morphed. It had been strange the first time, when they had fought in the skies of Selonia, but this time was stranger still. That unsettling smile remained fixed in position as if permanently pinned there, his waxy skin clammy as if he was suffering from some horrible sickness. The eyes looked more bloodshot than before, too. Less gold and more crimson now. His appearance was unkempt, too, much like the days of his – their original's – youth, tattered and torn, stained with sweat and blood.

The dark clone laughed, a harsh, brittle sound, as Galen started to edge towards Juno's position. He couldn't help but be distinctly aware of her standing there, poised to attack, her heart hammering. So exposed and vulnerable. He was struck with fear at seeing her so close to the enemy, painfully aware of how breakable she was.

To make matters worse, the dark clone's eyes were fixed on her now and something grotesque writhed within them; a look that promised something far worse than just death. "You are flesh and blood. Not a droid. _Not a droid_. You won't get back up again if I strike you a lethal blow. Wouldn't that be nice?"

The raw anger coursed through Galen's body, all consuming, but Juno's response disarmed it just enough to keep him rooted.

"I still haunt you, do I?"

What was she doing? Testing Kota's theory?

"That's not the word I would use to—" The nameless clone's head swung around to look to the side again, his face curled in fury. "Shut up!"

Juno blinked, startled, and Galen took that moment of distraction to edge closer to her position. Intent on closing the distance between them. But the dark clone looked back again and snapped: "Don't move. Don't take another step."

Galen's immediate reaction was to lunge straight for him, but he was reminded of Juno's susceptibility to attack and thought better of it. He froze instead and the dark clone took a step forwards, dragging the child with him.

"It's so very noble of you to want to protect the woman, but you needn't worry. I'm not here to kill her today. She can wait her turn. I'm to deal with you, first." The manic smile was back again.

"Then that makes my job easier," Galen bit back, his hand on the hilt of the green saber, "because I don't intend for you to leave here alive. You're going to pay for what you've done."

"See, I knew you'd be like that. That's why I had to bring this little creature with me." He tightened his grip on the child's neck. "If you try anything, the child dies. Play nice and he gets to live." He gave a delighted laugh. "And I'm sure you _do_ want him to live."

"And risk you escaping again? I don't think so." Galen glanced at the frightened child and scowled. He could end it now. End the tirade of this madman and all that he'd need to do was risk the life of one child. A life for a life. It made sense, didn't it? To sacrifice the few for the many?

"You can live with the blood of an innocent on your hands?" The insane clone gave a bark of laughter. "And here I was thinking you weak."

"I'm _not_ like you."

"Perhaps you are more like me than anyone realized. But it doesn't matter now. Your destiny is sealed. You will die at my hand, but today is not that day."

Galen took a step towards him and the clone's red saber flared; swinging close to the child's throat. He hesitated again, his fingers tightening on Kota's old blade.

"I won't let you leave here."

"Oh, but you will. It has been foreseen. You will die by my hand and my Master will take me back. I will become what you could not." He bristled as if someone had thrown an insult, his eyes straying to the left again. As far as Galen could tell, there was no one there. "If you sacrifice this child and force my hand, what's to stop me from taking the woman's life?"

"_I_ will." Galen growled.

"And what makes you think you'll be able to take my life?" Juno interrupted, the blaster still raised.

"You think you can stop me?" He sneered.

"Not me. Your conscience."

"Conscience? Ha! A Sith has no conscience." Again his shoulders tensed and he whirled to his left, swinging the boy around with him. "And I told you to shut up and let me deal with this myself."

He was absolutely insane, Galen decided. Talking to ghosts. To shadows. And he had once worried about his own mental state?

Juno let her arms drop slowly, though she kept her finger on the trigger. She threw him a cautious, questioning look; _what's our next move?_

"She keeps you from your true nature, you know." The dark clone continued, taking another step forwards. "She makes you weak. If it were not for her, you would have come at me by now. Attempted to tear me limb from limb. Relished in the fight and the desire to kill. Don't try to deny it. You know I speak truly."

"You've lost your mind." Galen concluded.

The dark clone smirked, his bloodshot eyes gleaming. And then the saber in his hand went dead and he reached into a pocket and drew forth a small datacard. "A gift for you." He continued, sniggering maliciously under his breath as he threw it in their direction. "From my Master. It'll tell you all you need to know." And at last he began to edge away, dragging the boy's heels against the earth as he did so.

He was leaving and the realization sent a bolt of anger through Galen. He lurched after him but the clone froze and lifted the child by the throat. "You don't want to force my hand. Not with her here." He laughed again, wild and uncontrollable as if recalling some private joke.

Juno's questioning eyes were on him again. The clone was backing away. Galen's face burned with both anger and shame, his fists trembling at his sides. He took another step but Juno's fingers tightened around his wrist, holding him in place.

His eyes snapped up to hers and she shook her head solemnly.

Later, when the clone's ship had ascended, they retraced his path through the trees in search of the child. It didn't take them long to find him; limp on the ground, his head cut from his body.

Long suppressed anger filled him, a blazing fire into his veins.

"I shouldn't have let him go." He hissed between clenched teeth.

Juno, trying to keep her emotions in check, shook her head solemnly. "Jedi don't kill innocent people for their own goals."

"The Jedi are_ extinct_!" He exploded. "What does that tell you about their lifestyle?"

"Galen." She fixed him with a long, hard look. "He was a _child_."

"One that died for nothing." He shook off her placating hand and, after a moment, she retreated back to the ship to leave him with his thoughts.

Sometimes there were no words of comfort.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**Okay, information on future updates. As life has become increasingly busy and I have had some problems with the draft of chapter 38 I've fallen behind in my chapters and can no longer promise updates by certain times. Because I hate to break promises/deadlines I've decided to give a rough estimate, instead. As such the next chapter should be available: Mid-Late September.**

**If you want to know how I'm doing with the progress of chapters you can check out my profile which I aim to keep up-to-date, so you know exactly what stage I am at and when the next update should be.**

**I really am sorry about this and I hate to do it, but at this moment in time it's the only way I can work whilst keeping everyone informed.**

**Thank you! :)**


	38. Past

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Next chapter is here at long last! Thanks for your patience, everyone! As always, I'd like to thank my readers and those wonderful people who take the time to review. It makes writing this worth it when I can see how many people take the time to read this story. A huge thank you must also go to my beta, Liisiko, who manages to take a look through these chapters even with her busy schedule.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 38 - Past<strong>

**Location: The _Armistice_**

* * *

><p>Juno sighed, swiping an oily cloth over her sweat-slicked brow and turning her attention back to the <em>Rogue Shadow<em>. A diagnostic had shown the ship was leaking fluid and she'd decided to fix it up quick before a small problem became a big one. Unfortunately, uncovering and correcting the problem had proved far more time consuming than she had first thought.

"Spanner." She held out her hand and PROXY handed it to her. Gritting her teeth, she began to tighten the bolts back into place, pausing to wipe a hand on her greasy overalls. "Is there any news yet, PROXY?"

"No, Captain. I believe the encryption has given them some problems."

She sighed. With every day that passed Galen was getting more and more impatient. He'd spent hours training yesterday, dueling with PROXY and then sweeping through a number of different solo routines; driving himself to exhaustion just so he could keep himself occupied. He'd disappeared again that day and she hadn't seen him since the morning meal.

"It was far above the level of my expertise, true." Juno replied after a moment, handing the heavy tool back to the droid and feeling along the edges of the inner panel to make sure it was seated correctly. It was. "But I think they're trying to delay us."

"They've succeeded." The droid pointed out.

She stood, stretched the kinks out of her spine and cast a glance at the gangly droid. "Have you had any word from Galen?"

"Master said he was going to check on progress."

_Hound them, more like._ She thought to herself grimly. "That'll end badly."

"Quite possibly." The holodroid admitted. "It might also be useful to know, Captain, that the _Tantive IV_ has just requested landing permission."

"Princess Organa is here?"

"It would appear so."

* * *

><p>"Let me guess." Galen said, his mouth twisting wryly. "Juno sent you?"<p>

"She did." PROXY's head cocked to the side in an oddly human manner. "Are you in good repair, Master?"

"I had another vision," he admitted, slumping back against the wall of the waiting room across from the senator's office. The office was empty, but he was certain a messenger would be sent that way as soon as the insane clone's codes had been translated into something meaningful.

"You are improving." The droid complimented.

He shook his head. "I don't understand what I see." But his hands were shaking and he wondered if that was really true. Perhaps he just didn't _want_ to understand. Perhaps he was afraid of what it could mean.

"I could offer some insight, Master?"

"You can try." He shrugged, giving an account of what he had seen.

In his vision the gaping-mouthed monster had come again, its body swathed in shadow that trailed wherever it stepped. It had moved and the darkness had moved with it; a darkness so impenetrable that only the glare of its eyes could be seen beneath its veil. Galen had called to get its attention, though what he had said he did not know. The sound was enough to give the monster pause and its head had twisted towards him. The eyes, set deep in its face, had glowed with the eerie light of dying stars. The darkness clung to its body like a second skin.

_"You were weak when I found you."_ The monster had said; with the voice of the Dark Lord.

The darkness had come for him then, thin tendrils of oily black drifting across the floor, reaching up for him like the arms of frightened children.

"I drew my lightsaber." Galen explained. "And they were afraid of the light it cast. Wary. But not for long."

They had struck as quick as snakes, constricting about his arms and legs, burning wherever they touched. He had tried to fight it too, but to no avail and he could still recall the horror of having the air squeezed from his lungs so that each breath came shallower than the one before. The anger had come then, a burning rage born of his incapacitation. It fed into his limbs, heating them, strengthening them and the strength of the darkness receded suddenly, the blade sliding easily through the tendrils. And, incensed, Galen had hacked at them again and again, not realizing – until a long moment after – that the blade was _red_.

The tendrils, hacked and broken, twitched on the floor.

_"Now your hatred has become your strength."_ The monster had said and Galen had looked down to see the bare skin the tendrils had laid open; charred black and smoking. His chest had heaved with anger.

_"At last."_ The monster continued. _"The dark side is your ally."_

"Is that everything, Master?" The droid asked when Galen had paused too long.

"No." Though perhaps that was the worst of it, he thought grimly, closing his fingers tight to hide their trembling. "And then the monster was gone and I was alone again, floating through space." This part of the vision he knew better. One moment he would be alone and in the next the Death Star would appear, lurking silently amongst the stars; its single eye raining green fire down at him.

Except that this time Leia's voice, always looking for hope, had offered him a name.

"Who is Obi-Wan Kenobi, PROXY? I know the name."

"Ah, Master, you forget? You know him well, or his fighting style, at least." The droid's gangly body transformed and standing before Galen was the familiar figure of a man with a wave of auburn hair and a neatly clipped beard. He had fought this training program often as a boy though he had not much cared for names. He was to learn their techniques. Learn to beat them. Little else had mattered to him back then.

"A Jedi Master." Galen knew that much at least.

"Indeed." This time PROXY's voice was not his own but that of the man whose shape he had taken. A calm, polite tone that matched well with his neat, traditional appearance. "Master Kenobi was renowned as one of the greatest duelists and Force-users of his time."

"His preference was the Soresu form." Galen recalled.

"Affirmative. His skill with that particular form was said to be unsurpassed. His career achievements are also something to behold. He was the first Jedi in over one thousand years to—"

"—Is it possible that he could still be alive?" Galen interrupted impatiently. He didn't care to hear about how many battles the Jedi had been in or how many titles he had won himself.

"It is hard to say, Master. There is no record of his death. The list of suspected survivors has shortened dramatically over the years. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi was not your average Jedi. If any have survived this long undiscovered the odds of him being one of them are quite good."

Galen couldn't help but feel a horrible sense of foreboding, shoving away from the wall to look towards the door. The corridor outside was silent and empty.

The droid's fingers closed comfortingly over his shoulder and when Galen looked at him he was still donned in his Kenobi disguise.

"What do you think it all means?"

_Kota would have known_, a voice in his head reminded.

"Visions do not operate with logic, Master. A droid would struggle to compute. Did you not recognize the beast?"

"No. It was shielded by the darkness but the words—they were Vader's."

"I think you will come to fight it." The droid responded easily. "As designed by the Dark Lord. He means to bring about your downfall – but we have always known that."

"I think you're right, PROXY." He replied, not able to shake the feeling that this time the attempt just _might_ be successful.

"If it helps, Master." The droid continued, in his own voice now – shedding Kenobi's skin. "I believe Senator Organa has docked. It may be wise to seek her counsel in this matter."

"Leia is here?"

"Affirmative."

"That might not be such a bad idea."

* * *

><p>Leia was dressed for action in white leggings, heavy-duty boots and a long-sleeved jacket zipped to her throat. Her hair, braided as always, was coiled in an elaborate nest atop her head as she crossed the dock answering as many questions as she gave. When Galen drew closer she looked up as if she had sensed his coming. Her expression did not turn angry or cold but there was something else there. Disappointment, perhaps? He'd never been all that good at reading the less subtle emotions on a person's face.<p>

She strode up to him as she handed a datapad back to a short, female Rodian who scurried along at her side. "You may tell Ja'Quhar that I will approve the resources." Leia was saying, turning her attention upon him only when her Rodian companion had taken her leave.

"I had hoped to get a chance to speak with you, Starkiller," she said. "I came as soon as I was able. I trust that progress has been made with the encrypted data?"

"They won't say." Not to him, in any case.

"So." She hooked him with her eyes. "What do you intend to do now?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"We _always_ have a choice," she replied and he was surprised to realize that her expression was not disappointment after all. It was concern.

"Do we?" he asked, wondering whether he had a choice in the path he was about to take.

"Yes," she replied, adamant. "And I'd like to hear yours."

"We're going to go after the clone as soon as we have the information from the datacard." Galen confirmed.

"I feared you would say that."

"But you're not surprised?"

"No. Not at all. I won't say that it's a wise course of action - given the risks - but perhaps in this case the risks would be worth it. If you can put an end to the dark clone's destruction, perhaps we can all move forward together and start anew."

"I don't think I'll be coming back once this is done," he warned her grimly.

Leia_ did_ look surprised at that. "You are preparing for the worst?"

He supposed it must seem odd to others. He who had done so much without a moment's hesitation. Charging to his goal no matter how hopeless it might seem. But his visions were touched with darkness and soon Obi-Wan Kenobi would be their only hope. And where did that leave him? "You were right," he said at last.

"Right? About what?"

"I overheard your conversation with Juno back on the ship. You warned her about me falling back into league with the Sith."

Leia had the grace, at least, to look apologetic. "Her faith in you is strong."

"But misplaced." It hurt to say it. It really did. Leia had clearly not been expecting that sort of admission from him, either. She was staring at him as if afraid he might not be the clone she had come to accept as Starkiller. But he didn't want to linger long on that subject. His visions were full of darkness and he didn't want to repeat them to her.

"And Juno? What about her? Will she cease contact, too?"

Galen didn't answer that. He wasn't going to speak for Juno. He risked death – or worse – by going after the dark clone but he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He wasn't sure whether she would want to come back to the Rebels or not when all this was done.

"This isn't what I came to talk to you about."

"No? It seems to me like it's quite important."

"You're preparing for some grand battle?" he pressed on, not wanting to let himself be diverted.

"Always, Starkiller."

He sucked in a deep breath and thought; Here goes nothing. "An assault against the Death Star?"

She looked at him with both curiosity and suspicion. "Do I want to know how you found out that information?"

"The Force provides." He didn't care how ridiculous that might sound to her, but Leia's face told him that she believed him. "I saw the Death Star fully operational, primed to attack."

"What else did you see?"

He ignored the question. "Do you know where it is? Has it been completed already?"

"Our spies tell us that it will soon be operational. Did you see its target?"

"No," he replied. "I didn't."

She shook her head. "No matter. We have other means of finding that information and if all goes well we'll have everything we need before long."

And, as they left the dock behind, he asked: "Leia. Do these plans of yours include the assistance of a Jedi?"

"A Jedi?" she sounded reluctant.

"An Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Leia's eyes flew to him. "How did you—" She trailed, realizing that the Force had probably shown him that, too. "He was a dear friend of my father's. They knew each other back before the Clone Wars."

"Then you know where he is? This Obi-Wan?"

"We know he is alive."

Her reply hadn't answered his question and he wondered at her indirectness. What did she think he was going to do? Hunt him down and kill him? Go into an uncontrollable rage at the thought of being replaced? "So you _are_ looking for him? If you're not, I'd strongly suggest that you do. I think you'll need him before this is done."

"Our intention_ is_ to recruit him to our cause. That responsibility will be left to my father when the time is right and not before."

Galen couldn't help but wonder how much use an old, cowardly Jedi might be, even one as esteemed as this Master Kenobi. Hiding out somewhere, afraid of being discovered. Afraid of making a stand. Or maybe it wasn't as dire as all of that. Maybe he was waiting for a sign, too. Some vision to let him know it was finally time to take a stand against the Empire.

He just hoped that if this old Master Jedi was their 'only hope' that he would be more than a frightened old man.

* * *

><p>Sia was as effervescent as ever, singing to herself in the locker room as Juno entered. The dark haired woman was dressed in a distinctly feminine garb and was fixing her unruly hair in the mirror. It brightened Juno's spirits to see the flight officer so happy even if she was singing distinctly out of tune.<p>

"You're in a good mood today," Juno called out, trying her best to smile. Her last few days had been trying to say the least and she'd spent the majority of them tired and frustrated.

"I've got a date." Sia replied easily.

"With that…pilot?"

"Not the pilot you're thinking of." The woman smiled coquettishly.

"What was wrong with the last one?"

"What can I say? I'm a fickle woman." Sia shrugged. "You have time for lunch? I've got some time to kill before I'm scheduled to meet this guy. I found out something interesting about you, too."

"About me?"

"Uh huh. About you and your time with the Empire."

Juno's lungs seemed to constrict. "How did you—?"

"—I found an old speech of yours, back when you were given command of the _Salvation_." She smiled. "It made for some interesting reading." The woman stepped forwards and looped her arm through Juno's. "So, do you have some time?"

"Well…I don't know. I'm not the best company right now."

Sia seemed to snap out of her floaty state at that response. "Is everything okay?"

"It's nothing, really," she managed at last. "Just waiting for news. Something Starkiller was never much good at. He's been distant recently, too." But it was more than just distant. He seemed constantly occupied by his own thoughts. Lost in visions or worrying over what he had seen. She moved across to her own locker and pulled her jacket from the hanger.

"Come on. Let's go." Sia grabbed her arm. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

And in the next moment Juno found herself being dragged out into the corridor.

"So." Sia began. "Is it true?"

Juno hesitated. "Yes. It is."

"I never would have thought it!" The officer sounded more excited than she should have. "Just goes to show that you can't judge a person by appearance alone. Sweet, workaholic Juno. Although, I bet you did look rather suave in those trim, black uniforms." She winked. "To be fair, you do have a _Jedi_ as a boyfriend. That's not exactly anything to be sniffed at."

"You don't seem that…bothered by it." She remembered colleagues who had been. Those who had watched with suspicion. She hoped she had won them over before her time with the_ Salvation_ had prematurely ended, but she could never be certain that they had fully trusted her.

"Why would I? You're with the Alliance now. That doesn't mean I'm not curious, though."

Juno couldn't help but feel slightly harassed. Wasn't sure whether she was even ready to talk about it, even with someone she knew.

"There's got to be some story behind you defecting, right?" She was smiling wide, her teeth a brilliant white. "Was it love that brought you to the rebels? Did Starkiller infiltrate one of the Imperial bases? Did you captivate him so utterly that he had no choice but to spare your life? Or maybe it was the other way around?"

"There was no Alliance back then." Juno reminded her.

"Then why?"

"My eyes were opened, that's all." Sia stared wordlessly at her and Juno sighed. "Do you really want to know?"

"Is it really that bad? We've all done things that we regret."

"Even if I told you what happened, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me." Sia challenged and, twenty minutes later, they were sat in the dock with lunch stolen away from the mess hall. The stifling heat of the corridors had been driven away by the powerful venting systems and Juno clutched her warm drink as if for dear life.

The two women sat in silence for a long while, Juno mulling over the possibilities of sharing her past with this new found friend of hers. It surprised her to realize that maybe she did want to. That maybe she needed to share it because keeping it all in was proving hard. No one understood. No one except Galen.

And if they were to die in service, to have someone remember them…that would be good, wouldn't it? To be remembered?

Eventually, she admitted: "I don't know how much I should say."

"As much as you want to," Sia replied kindly.

Juno risked a glance up into the woman's face. A face that was friendly and open and politely inquisitive. This was the face of a friend; a strange concept to Juno who'd not had many friends to confide in since being reassigned by Vader. Well none, in truth. The easy camaraderie of her time as a fighter pilot was long lost to her now though memories of that had come flooding back during her time tutoring the new recruits for the Alliance. The feeling of joy had been partially ruined by the guilt that had come with it. She shouldn't miss aspects of that old life, should she?

"It's not just my story to tell." She said after a moment. It was Galen's, too.

"Hey, hey. Listen. I know I can be footloose at times but I can be subtle when it matters." When Sia got no response, she continued: "We've all made mistakes, Juno. The thing that's important is that we make up for them. I know that you've more than made up for yours with everything that you have done since joining the rebels."

Juno wasn't sure that she had. "I've done some pretty terrible things."

Sia looked on unbelieving.

"I was handpicked by Vader to take part in a classified project." She couldn't help but notice the whites of Sia's eyes as they widened. "That's how terrible some of my actions were." And she thought of Callos, its vast and beautiful habitat now decimated – because of her.

"Vader?"

Juno nodded grimly.

"But look at what you've achieved here with us." Sia insisted. "And to defy Vader's orders and break away like you did – that took some incredible strength. Most people wouldn't have been able to do that."

The words should have brought comfort. They only brought bitterness. "If circumstances hadn't worked out in the way that they did, I probably wouldn't have." Even if she had wanted to leave the Empire she couldn't have done it alone. Starkiller had offered her that escape and she had taken it. Without him…who knew where she might have been? Dead…probably.

"Things happen for a reason. You could have ignored your conscience and carried on regardless."

"It was hard to ignore." Juno replied with a bitter laugh. "I was labeled a traitor for simply doing my job."

"A traitor? Before you fled? Juno, how in the world did you escape with your life?"

Juno smiled a sad smile. "I was rescued."

"Wait, wait, wait. We need to start from the beginning. You're losing me already."

Juno wondered if there was the time. The story was long and to go through making careful edits would take even longer. Even still, she steeled herself and began: "I didn't realize it back then, but the new classified project Vader assigned to me—it was the end of the road. It was an important role but one that I wasn't supposed to survive." And she thought of the seven pilots who had come before her. All of them skilled and all of them dead. "He sent pilots there to die when he didn't have any further use left for them…or when they proved a nuisance. The day I started my new assignment was the day that I met Starkiller."

"Your first day? But how did that happen? A pilot should never come head to head with a Jedi. What was he doing in enemy territory?"

Juno could not explain why she felt so afraid to make this fact known but she was and the words stuck on her tongue and refused to budge.

A thin line appeared between the flight officer's brows. "Juno, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

Juno drew in a steadying breath. "He wasn't a Jedi, Sia. Not then." She wasn't even sure he qualified as a Jedi now, though he was closer to that title than anything else.

"He was an Imperial, too." Sia breathed, understanding dawning on her.

"He was a Sith. Vader's apprentice." And the dam burst; the words flowing out of Juno so fast that she couldn't have stopped them even if she had wanted to.

Sia, for once, listened without a single interruption and if she struggled to keep up, she gave no sign. The account was simplified but muddled, some events so turned around in her head she sometimes wondered if they had ever happened at all. But there were others that came to her with incredible clarity.

She spoke of their hunt for Jedi. Of Vader's betrayal and her capture, imprisoned for months upon the _Executor_. How Starkiller had miraculously returned to rescue her and their journey across the galaxy to find Kota. How they had worked together to bring about an alliance between discontented leaders. Starkiller discovering snippets of his lost identity.

"We changed together. There was no sudden epiphany. We were both haunted by our pasts, struggling to find our place. We worked together. We were betrayed together and we found our true paths together."

And, in the end, the only details she left out were Galen's betrayal of her when she had caught him conferring with Vader and the true reason behind his miraculous return. Sia did not need to know that he was a clone. Juno told her they had just made a mistake. They had thought him dead when truly he had been captured and held prisoner. It was close enough to the truth.

"It explains a lot." Sia spoke when the story was done.

"It does?" Her throat hurt and she realized, only then, that she was trembling. But she felt good, too. She felt free.

"Why he wasn't like I imagined a Jedi to be. Why you were so close to one another and why he's so desperately protective of you." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Juno. You might not think that you've made up for your past mistakes but even I can see that you have." Sia took her hand. "The Alliance wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the two of you."

Juno didn't know what to say to that.

"And Kota's death…"

"It was hard." Juno ended. She missed the old Jedi deeply and she knew that it still haunted Galen, even if he didn't bring it up much any more "He was like a father to Galen." _And to me, too_. She thought to herself. He had stood by her and comforted her as any parent should. That could not be said of her biological father.

"And now he's going to be facing a deranged clone of himself. The Emperor has a twisted sense of humor."

"And the encryption will give you his location?" Sia asked.

"Yes." Juno replied. "We're walking willingly into another trap." How many more were they going to walk into before they learned their lesson? Perhaps they wouldn't be getting out of this one.

"You're going alone? Without support?"

"Garm and Mon Mothma won't have anything to do with it." Juno replied. "They see it as folly. A lost cause. They think we're going to throw our lives away or lose Galen to the darkness."

"And what do you think?"

"...I don't think we'll be coming back." With Galen acting as he was there was no denying the very real possibility that this could be the end of the line.

"What do you mean?"

"I have a bad feeling." She couldn't explain it.

"You're being paranoid." Sia assured. "You've beaten the odds before."

"Maybe I am." Juno continued, "but I can't shake the feeling that we've been playing into the Emperor's hands all this time. But what can we do? Starkiller won't back down now—even I couldn't persuade him to do that."

"You could let him go alone?"

"No. Never. I've lived a year without him already. I won't suffer that again."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**(for an estimate on when to expect the next chapter see my profile)**


	39. Complication

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: I am back! And here is the next chapter for all you beautiful, patient people. Also, a note to clarify that there will now be 41 chapters and an additional epilogue. I was hoping to keep it to 40, but there was too much to fit into just the one last chapter so there we go. As always, updates on progress will be kept in my profile.**

**Also, just to save any confusion, this story is now being marked as an AU. I realise that Kota, officially, could not have died so early in the timeline but unfortunately my plan for this fanfic made it necessary to do so.**

**And, as always, thanks to everyone for your wonderful support. You make this all worth while. And, as always, a huge thank you to my friend and beta, Liisiko!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 39 - Complication<strong>

**Location: The _Armistice _/ Onderon**

* * *

><p>The send off was a quiet affair overshadowed by ill-omen. Even those who did not know of Galen's visions or Juno's concerns seemed to sense that this was not going to be a happy farewell. That perhaps this time it would be their last.<p>

Leia, dressed in practical white clothes instead of the more formal senator garb, wore her hair twined into a neat braid that came just shy of her waist. She looked older than her years, her face was void of expression. Beside her stood Sia and for once, the flight officer looked deeply sorrowful. Eyes that usually shone with mirth were now dark.

There was no one else, save those two, to see the pair off. Mon Mothma was conveniently unavailable and her absence made it poignantly clear that the woman was unwilling to involve herself in the decision they were making. Juno didn't think that Leia was particularly happy about it either, but the young senator seemed to have reached the conclusion that there was no other way.

Galen risked being lost to them –even if he survived the ordeal– but at least this way their fragile alliance would not be completely broken.

"I can only advise caution," Leia began, "but you both already know the dangers of what you intend to do. You have seen darkness. We all have. But there is light also. And hope. Do not forget that. Carry it with you."

"Thank you for everything," Juno replied, her throat tight, "both of you."

Leia nodded stiffly. "Have all the preparations been made?"

"The course is set and the ship is ready, Senator Organa," PROXY chimed in, his voice seemingly unable to take on anything other than a jovial tone. "The coordinates and ETA have been uploaded to your datapad."

"This is a difficult task you take on. A foolish one, perhaps," Leia continued. "Be on your guard. This is a trap of their making and you are walking into it alone."

_Alone._ No reinforcements. No senator backing. Leia might have been a strong and worthy senator but without agreement from Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis, her full support could never be given.

"The Empire hasn't killed you yet so why is everyone acting like you're already dead?" Sia blurted suddenly, taking the blonde captain's arm and gripping it tightly. "They'll fail this time, too. They always do."

Neither Galen nor Juno replied to that. Thankfully, Sia either didn't want a response or hadn't expected one.

"Take care of each other, okay?" she continued.

"We will."

The women shared a short embrace before Sia turned to Galen who had, so far, remained silent. His serious eyes reflected a strange uncertainty as she regarded him.

"And you," the flight officer continued, directing her words at him. "Don't go doing anything _too_ stupid."

There was a momentary pause which was broken when Sia gave a small grin and held out her hand. Galen took it – with less hesitancy than he had before. But, just as he began to pull away, she gripped him by the elbow and leaned forward to murmur something to him.

For a second he seemed to freeze, but then the moment passed and the droid was urging them to make haste if they were to remain on schedule.

It was a short farewell but it was all they would get.

"What did she say to you?" Juno asked him, much later, with the streams of stars rushing by.

He leaned back in his chair and said: "Don't let me be the only one who remembers, Galen."

* * *

><p>A few hours into the jump saw Juno idly flicking through the info on their destination, looking without truly seeing. The words and images across the display failed to hold her interest over the more pressing concern of the dangers that lay ahead. After half an hour she gave up, realizing just how little she had absorbed.<p>

The hum of the ship seemed obnoxiously loud in her ears and so did the creak of PROXY's limbs as he worked on monitoring the ship's status and the progress of their journey. She had checked the co-ordinates five times already, though there had never been any need. Somehow numbers were easier to concentrate on than words when she was stressed.

Numbers were easy. Unchanging facts. Never biased. Reliable.

And then she thought of Galen, going through the motions of preparation, and knew that she had to do something to help.

She thought back to the moment when the encryption code had finally been broken; an extract from a speech inlaid with the co-ordinates that they required. Galen had snapped at the staff for stalling in front of Mon Mothma. The woman had been stiff-shouldered and shrewd. Even so, she had given no word of dispute when Leia intervened to act as conciliator. Perhaps, Juno thought, the older woman secretly hoped that the mission would fail. Then they would be dead and she could express her deep regret that no one had heeded her wise counsel. Her position would be strengthened as a result.

Forcing herself to concentrate she filed back to the beginning of the search results and started again.

"Onderon," she read aloud, rubbing her hands fiercely over her face. _Concentrate._

Apparently, Onderon had the reputation of being a dangerous, untamed planet with a sordid history to match. Compiled of great open plains, unforgiving mountain ranges and deadly jungles, it seemed that the people who lived there had adapted in similarly savage ways in order to survive.

She desperately sought the records for some reason as to why this location had been chosen but failed to come up with any strong theories. There had to have been a reason, though. Neither Vader nor the Emperor would have chosen this spot at random. It was a wild planet. Perhaps – like Felucia – it could be affected by the dark energies that could sway the battle in their favor.

Sighing deeply, she leaned back in her seat to glance out through the viewport just as they lurched out of hyperspace.

The steely, grey-green planet had probably never looked as ominous as it did that day. The colors seemed muted – unlike the vivid blues of Bestine IV – and a number of tropical storms seemed to be churning their way across the surface, one frighteningly close to their drop-off point. Juno, with PROXY's help, made some quick recalculations – plotting a new course far enough away form the storm that the ship would not be risked.

When she next looked up from her work she found Galen standing behind her chair, leaning over her to stare through the viewport. His expression was unreadable.

He was dressed in a dusky grey tunic of roughspun wool – cut off at the knee – and worn over a long-sleeved white shirt left unlaced at the throat. He had never taken to wearing the deep-sleeved robes or heavy cloaks that the Jedi and Sith had been known for wearing. She noticed, too, that the insignia of the Alliance – fashioned after his own family's crest – had been sewn into the front of the garb where an officer's pips would have been.

She smiled sadly. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and she rose to face him.

"We've had to change the course," she continued, finding safety in talking about technicalities. "The closest storm is approaching from the west. We can't get as close as I would have liked but by my calculations the ETA will only be extended by ten point three minutes. I've got PROXY working on predicting the—"

"—Juno," he interrupted her sharply and then she was being crushed up against him, his arms constricting tightly about her. She felt his breath; warm in her hair.

_I will not cry_, she urged herself firmly, biting her bottom lip hard. She hadn't fallen apart in front of him last time and she didn't plan to on this occasion either. But this time was harder. After all they had been through and after the elation of having him return to her from the dead...

What were the odds of it happening a second time?

She squeezed him tight around the middle and pressed her face into the crook of his shoulder, breathing in the warm and strangely homey scent of the woolen tunic he wore. She could have stayed like that forever.

"I love you," she croaked, hating herself for how weak her voice sounded.

"I know," he replied, his voice soft. "I love you, too."

"I won't leave you. _Please_ don't ask me to."

"You know I have to," he continued gently, "he'll kill you if he gets the chance. You've got to believe that, Juno. He views you as a weakness and he'll want to rid himself of that."

"I _do_ believe you," she replied. "I do." That didn't mean she was happy to up and leave him to his fate.

"Juno," his voice was so low that she had to strain her ears to hear him, "don't let Sia be the only one who remembers."

She forced back a sob, biting even harder on her lip; willing her burning eyes to keep the tears at bay. "I can't do it, Galen."

"Yes you can." He drew her away from him then, shaking her gently by the shoulders. "You're not going to be beaten by this."

"And what about you?" She felt her emotion reach a new height; anger flickering beneath her fears. "Are you going to be beaten by this?"

"My vision—"

"—Forget the vision! Have you ever thought that visions might not be set in stone? That they might be misinterpreted? Or something that can be changed?" She realized her voice was taking on a desperate – and almost angry – edge.

He looked away. "Sooner or later Obi Wan Kenobi is going to be the Alliance's only hope."

"But that could be for a number of different reasons," Juno argued. "You don't know what knowledge or skills he might have." She took heart from the loosening of the frown on Galen's face. "I won't let you die. Not again. It's time to end this battle once and for all. Not for the Alliance but for _you_."

He opened his mouth to respond but suddenly she didn't want to talk anymore. Didn't want this exchange to end in a tearful argument. She reached up and drew him into a kiss; hard and passionate. And then she was back in his arms, treasuring and despairing every touch and cursing herself for her weakness.

And then the ship's console bleeped, indicating the preparation for descent, startling her out of his arms and back into her seat. Her fingers rapped across the display with harder force than strictly necessary and she kept her head averted in case her expression betrayed her emotions. "Beginning descent," she informed, her throat constricted with unshed tears. She couldn't think about 'what ifs' now, because if she did she might find herself turning the ship around.

_Besides_, she argued silently, _I'm not going to leave him_.

The ship banked, fleet and beautiful, and the atmosphere burned bright around them.

She could feel Galen standing over her. Sensed his desperate search for the right words to express himself. His extended silence told her that he couldn't find them. Galen always had been one for staying silent rather than attempting to throw around clumsy sentences. She was glad of that now. Any attempt he might have made at consoling her would have probably sent her over the edge.

In the end he chose to set a hand on her shoulder. It was a small gesture but, strangely, it was enough.

The ripples of orange and red parted to give them a closer look of the storm-ravaged landscape; the turbulence throwing the ship roughly from side to side. They had underestimated the strength of the storm and the ship was thrashed by rain as Juno turned tail and headed to calmer skies. "You'd best get into position. Our drop zone is coming up." She tried to keep her voice calm and professional. "We'll do this on the first pass." She didn't want to circle too much in case she gave away Galen's position. "Be careful out there. I'm getting strong wind readings."

The tropical storm was a great, swirling vortex tinged with metallic-yellow and veined through with lightning. Its heaving, swollen mass had been trapped by the natural basins in the landscape and from their angle, looked like a thrashing monster desperate to escape from its pit.

"Juno," Galen's voice was louder this time. Firmer, too. "You don't need to worry. I'm stronger than I was. Stronger than him. You will see me again."

"I believe in you," she said.

"We both do, Master," PROXY added.

"Get as far away from here as you can," he said. Their eyes met, fleetingly, and then he was gone and she braced herself for the inevitable. Her finger trembled as it hovered over the switch that operated the loading ramp and she closed her eyes as she activated it. And, in an attempt to keep herself occupied, she adjusted their course for a low, straight sweep and linked to Galen's signal. It flared onto the radar with a rhythmic chime; clear and strong. He needed no prompt to know when they had reached the drop off point. A few moments later and his signal was plummeting at an alarming rate, down towards the jungle below.

And that was that. He was gone.

"Are you well, Captain?" the gangly droid asked.

Juno forcibly had to relax her hands, realizing how hard her nails had been digging into her palms. She was clearly losing her nerve. Perhaps she wasn't cut out for this anymore.

"I'm fine, PROXY." She slowed the ship's trajectory and swiveled to look at him. "There's been a change of plans. Galen's going to need your help."

"How can I be of assistance?"

"Your holo-capabilities are still intact, I take it?" It seemed a long time since she had last seen him adopt another appearance.

"My Mimetic Combat Processor is still functional."

"Good. Listen carefully, PROXY. Here's what I need you to do."

She wasn't going to let him fight this one alone.

* * *

><p>Above the coming storm, the sky was aglow with orange and red. The dark clone could not remember ever seeing anything quite like it. Pure, natural energy; unstoppable and fierce. He could feel its ferocity in the growing winds and the tang of electricity in the air. It was intoxicating – so much so that he was finding it hard to tear his eyes away.<p>

For the hundredth time he turned back to the strange stone construct that would be the meeting place for him and his inferior 'brother'. The stone had been worn smooth by the passing of time; now mostly green from moss and plant life.

"_The key to your salvation lies within."_

Vader's voice urged him on and he went back to work, using the Force to drag the large, moss encrusted boulders away from the entrance of the stone tomb. At least, he assumed it was a tomb. What other construct would be built so deep into the ground, so far from civilization? Maybe it was the resting place of some long dead Sith Lord. Perhaps his corpse lay within, draped in rotted finery, his skeletal fingers still grasping the hilt of his ancient lightsaber.

There was a dark energy within, he could sense that much. It seemed to want to draw him in, forcing him to back away when he felt the temptation rise. _Not yet_, he thought. _Not yet._

He stepped back even then to glance around for any clue as to what lay within. The only decorative features remaining seemed to be two huge, stone monsters carved nearby. They stood vigilant with their teeth laid bare and watched him with cold, lichen-covered eyes. He wasn't sure why but they put a strange sense of unease in him.

"I have no need to fear stone jaws," he laughed quietly to himself, nervous.

"Stone? No. Flesh and blood, though…" The sudden words made him jump and he whirled to see the familiar shape of his persistent companion.

"Ah, I wondered when you would be back," the clone replied, feigning amicability.

"It is nice to know that you missed me," the phantom replied.

"I have no time for you."

"You can no more get rid of me than you can your own reflection."

"Reflection? So what are you?" the clone snapped. "A ghost of some failed clone? You weren't here just a moment ago."

"We've been over this before," the phantom replied. "Your mind is failing you."

"Who are you?!"

"I am no one. I am everyone." And with that he drew back his robe at last – for the clone could not remember him having done so before – and a thousand faces flashed across the visage that was revealed. Old and young. Some unknown. Some familiar. Some he knew with more depth than he would have liked. He spied his own face amongst the many the phantom wore, with blood-shot eyes and waxy skin. He saw an older man, scarred and blind. Then there was an older man who resembled him so closely that it made him irrationally afraid. And then a woman. _The_ woman. Blonde hair. Warm, blue eyes. A smile that seemed to reach into him and fill the hollow in his chest.

He lashed out with a sudden fury and the phantom dissipated like mist in sunlight.

Alone again, the dark clone turned back to his work.

Above, the storm churned closer.

* * *

><p>Galen landed lightly; the Force dispersing as he drew himself upright; a hand on his lightsaber.<p>

The jungle seemed to tremble in the wake of the approaching storm and, as Galen moved towards the specified co-ordinates, he could sense a strange darkness – like the edge of a knife touched against the back of his neck.

He lifted a forearm to push some vines aside and picked his way carefully down a rugged path created by wildlife rather than man. The undergrowth was all sharp thorns and dark, seductive flowers; beautiful but likely poisonous.

His senses were alive and on edge, feeling out across the expanse to brush against hidden life forms. One – a hunting predator – turned towards him but the sound of his lightsaber activating gave it reason to falter and he pressed on before it decided to change its mind and pursue.

The sound of the storm was obscured by the huge, closely-knit trees, giving its approach an eerie echo.

For the first time in his life, Galen didn't want to rush into a confrontation. He wanted to conserve his energy and not waste it on speed or fending off the local wildlife. He intended to end this battle as quickly as possible; throwing every ounce of energy he had straight at the dark clone. There would be no more running. No more backing down at the last moment. It had all come down to this moment and he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers again.

Unusually, Juno had not attempted communication since his leaving the ship. He wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad sign. She'd have alerted him if there was any trouble brewing, and yet, her silence nagged at him. He was still angry at himself over how they had parted and the way words had failed him. But what more could he have said? He had told her that she would see him again and even that had been hard. What if he didn't? What if he'd just made a promise that would soon be broken?

He was tapping the com-link, apprehensively, when a sudden wave of dark power washed over him, freezing the blood in his veins and drawing him to a sudden halt. The nearby tree was suddenly a welcome friend as he leaned against it for support, waiting for the light-headedness to recede.

There was something wrong.

The energy felt _wrong_.

Grasping at his head to try and settle its spinning, he staggered ever onwards, bracing himself against each tree until he had focused enough Force energy to keep the pulsing aura of darkness at bay.

His instincts tried to warn him away but he pressed on regardless until – at last – he emerged into a graveyard of trees. The broken stumps were covered in huge, spongy, black fungi and were draped with crawling vines, all barbed and dangerous. At its center, amongst the dead trees, was a ruin of crumbling stone. It looked to have been a tower once – maybe one that had risen above the tree line. Now, however, most of those huge slabs had crumbled and fallen; consumed by the native lichen. The smell of decomposing leaves settled thickly in Galen's lungs, making breathing oddly difficult.

Igniting his saber, the weapon sang as he flipped it into the ever-familiar reverse grip. He didn't need to see the dark clone to know that he was already there. And, as if sensing his thoughts, he appeared from behind the rubble. The dark clone's fevered, red eyes seemed to burn into him with a horrible eagerness. Galen could not help but think this foe little more than a mad, flesh-hungry beast. The only difference was that_ this_ beast could wield a lightsaber.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come," the clone said, chuckling darkly beneath his breath. "But Master said you would and he is never wrong."

"Never?" Galen tried to keep his tone unaffected. "Vader has been wrong before. You know that."

"He only pretends to be wrong when it suits the plan." The dark clone laughed again, his face twisting. "Are you ready to face me?"

Galen shifted into a defensive stance.

"Ah good. Though I think this will be easy. I was hoping not to be disappointed." He jerked his hand up and a huge boulder rose into the air, hanging there as if on a thread. Galen knew what was going to happen before it did and readied himself just as the two ton stone came hurtling towards him. Going against his initial instinct to roll out of harm's way he called up the Force and pushed back, sending a blast of energy straight at the projectile. The great slab of stone exploded, scattering across the clearing in large, dusty chunks, sending a clear message: he wasn't going to hold back.

Oddly, the aura of dark energy seemed to deepen, as if feeding off the battle.

The dark clone was scowling – clearly not expecting such a show of power – his hands creeping to the sabers holstered in the loops of his belt.

Galen charged.

The dust clung to the sweat on his skin as he burst through the cloud left by the exploding rock, the blue saber humming as it twisted upwards through the air. It connected against the dark clone's red saber with an angry hiss, sending him staggering backwards and giving Galen room to press the attack. Kota's blade ignited as he ran, swinging up and around to take the clone across the ribs. But the dark clone turned and the two pairs of sabers clashed, burning wild ribbons into the air.

Twice, Galen switched fighting styles in an attempt to be unpredictable; using techniques that his mad 'brother' might not have been so inclined to learn or use. But each time the dark clone evaded him, moving and reacting quicker.

And, ever present, was the strange dark aura that pulsed in his head and snatched at his focus whenever he let his guard down.

Gritting his teeth, Galen dropped his offence and feinted to the left, baiting the dark clone into his next attack. He fell into it immediately and Galen's saber came up; the teeth to his trap. The blade clipped across the inside of the clone's arm and forced him into a hasty retreat.

"You're eager." The clone's teeth clenched as he countered the move, the merged light from the sabers stained across his face. "This will be fun."

And the clone shoved forwards, refusing to give any ground. Pitiful and weak he might look with his tattered garb and gaunt face, but the strange, dark energy seemed to be giving him strength. Their blades locked. Galen pushed against him but the clone was immovable, his feet set, his arms taut.

"What's wrong?" the dark clone gloated. "You seem distracted."

He seemed distracted because he _was_. Even still, he had hoped that, outwardly, he wouldn't have given away the effect that the dark forces were having on him.

Galen retaliated immediately, wrenching both of his blades in opposing directions. The sabers screeched as they pulled apart, spitting sparks. The clone came at him with a sweeping strike that whirred above his head as he ducked and closed in again. The blue blade in Galen's hand pivoted so fast that it almost took off the clone's arm at the elbow.

And then they were slashing, wheeling, spinning, the sound of the sabers wild in Galen's ears. Each sharp connection rang down the length of his arms until his bones ached and he was forced to let up. The dark clone seemed frenzied, slashing without refrain, his saber cutting jagged lines. Sweat ran down his face in rivulets and yet his eyes were aflame with bloodlust. If he was tired, he seemed to be hiding it well enough.

Galen momentarily relented his attack, giving the clone ground as he reached out with the Force to avoid tripping over debris. The dark energy still thrummed in his head, driven sharply away as the dark clone lunged. Their blades bounced off of one another with such force that the pair of them were driven apart, momentarily startled at the equality of their strength. Galen parried the dark clone's next attack, side-stepped to avoid the one that followed and then braced himself for whatever came next. The angering clone, now on slightly higher ground, brought both sabers down over his head. The full force of those blades slammed into Galen's block, bowing his back and testing the strength in his arms.

Instinctively, Galen pushed back, putting the force of the effort into his legs and shoulders—

—and the dark clone flipped forwards with the support of the blades, landing on his feet so that the pair were back to back. Galen pivoted to safety, lashing out behind him as he went, hoping to land a hit. But the clone was quick on the mark, pivoting to slap the mismatched sabers away.

Letting Kota's blade die, Galen wrenched the power of the Force up through the ground, bringing with it a shower of stones and thorns and scattering them like rain against his adversary. They collided against the dark clone's hastily constructed shield and ricocheted off.

And then Galen was there again, pressing the attack, trying to find a crack in the dark clone's defenses. The sabers flew at nigh-untraceable speeds and then the clone was ducking beneath his crosscut; his shoulder ramming hard into Galen's chest. The thorny ground rushed towards his back, driving the air from his lungs as he tried to turn the fall into a roll that would bring him back to his feet. His blades followed the motion, saving him from mortal injury as the clone tried to follow up the successful strike.

He drew on the Force, felt it flow through him, and sent a blast of energy straight at the clone who braced himself for the impact and let it wash over him.

Something was wrong. Galen could feel it. The dark clone had driven himself to lunacy and yet his strength and speed seemed not to have been affected at all. There was a dark taint in the air; a darkness that did not belong to the clone's own Force signature. Something else lying just beneath it, using it as a smokescreen. He could feel it when he wasn't trying to keep it out; crawling beneath his skin, stealing warmth and scattering his concentration.

Vader?

The sudden thought distracted him just as the clone advanced again. Galen lifted his offhand to deflect the attack – but too slow – and the saber grazed his knuckles, leaving them raw. The searing wound sent his pain receptors into overdrive, bringing him sharply back into focus, outraged at his own idiocy.

The anger felt momentarily invigorating, and he retaliated with a flurry of sharp, accurate strikes, though all - save one glancing blow - was deflected.

The ground shook under their feet as lightning ripped the sky apart and Galen span, striking so fast that it almost wrenched the weapon from the dark clone's hand.

Thunder crashed around them as they stood poised, locked into defensive stances, each daring the other to make the first move. Slowly, Galen flexed his burned hand and was rewarded with a fresh swell of agony that settled into a lingering throb.

Blinking sweat out of his eyes, Galen advanced again, attempting a complicated combination of short, sharp swings partnered with a number of sudden side-steps. But the air felt more oppressive than before and his lungs were short of breath. He moved slower than planned and the dark clone evaded him easily, laughing as he did so.

"What is that?" Galen gasped out.

The dark clone threw back his head and laughed. "You sense my great power? My Master gave me the key to unlocking it." Then he lunged again.

Galen sucked in a lungful of air and jerked sharply to the side to avoid a downward strike from his foe. His wrist flicked around – deadly fast – to slash the dark clone through the ribs only to find him turning the momentum of his downward slash into a tumble that saw him safely out of reach.

The ground shook again, so violently that a few more stone slabs toppled from the broken tower to smash against the ground. And a noise – not unlike that of thunder – rumbled up from the mouth of the ancient ruin.

"That's _not_ _your power_," Galen spat.

They had woken something deep beneath the earth; a sleeping shadow coiled in the dark. Perhaps it had been in hibernation for hundreds of years, leeching off of the dark energies that flooded the landscape surrounding of its dwelling. Or maybe it was the _source_ of that darkness. Either way, however long it had been there, one thing was for certain: it knew they were there.

The dark clone came at him again and Galen caught the attack on the edge of Kota's blade, pressing back.

"Did you know about this?" Galen demanded as the pervasive aura of darkness grew stronger still. He felt a sudden bout of nausea and struggled to maintain his composure.

"About what?" the dark clone's grin was wild as he leaned into Galen's defense, their blades spitting furiously.

"The creature." The creature from his vision.

A second roar ripped from the entrance, sweeping over them with the force of a tidal wave. They broke apart again, swinging their lightsabers with a dazzling flourish – almost perfectly mirroring one another.

"Afraid of the local wildlife?" the dark clone retorted, still looking greatly amused.

Galen gritted his teeth against his immediate rebuke, realizing that it was true. He _was _afraid. Afraid and angry and cold. It felt as if a pit of ice had opened up in his chest. "You fool," he hissed at last. "Can't you sense it?"

"Yes," the dark clone breathed the word with a delighted hiss. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"You truly are mad."

"What have I to fear from the darkness, _brother_? I am one with the darkness. You can't 'corrupt' what has already been corrupted."

Something shifted in the black and, buffeted by the rising winds, Galen could not seem to take his eyes off of it.

The edge of the storm reached them, tossing the trees from side to side in a deafening cacophony. And, out of the darkness – partially obscured by the haze of rain – came two heavy, clawed hands. They gripped at either side of the entrance and almost wrenched the tower apart as it levered its body forwards and into sight.

A cold sweat crawled down Galen's back.

The beast was all hard, sinewy muscle and cruel barbs with a sweeping crest and slathering mouth. It was perhaps shorter than an average rancor, but Galen guessed it weighed far more. Its limbs were thick and sturdy and its skin like armor; all horns and scale. It may have been black in color, but the storm above reflected off of its body, casting it with a ruddy brown hue.

It roared again and its massive jaws extended wide, the curved tusks and half a dozen rows of teeth glinting; sharp and dangerous.

Dark energy exuded from its hulking body and Galen, instinctively, backed away. Beside him – only a few paces away – he couldn't help but notice that the dark clone's smile had faltered. Galen wasn't sure whether to be pleased about that or not.

"Let me guess," Galen called out dryly, sounding much calmer than he felt, "Vader left out a few essential details?"

The huge creature growled and took a slow step forwards; rain battering against its armored head as it turned to focus in on them. A thick ooze of saliva ran unbroken from its gaping maw to the ground. It hungered.

Not able to take his eyes off of it, Galen fumbled for the com-link. "Juno," he murmured. "There's been a complication."

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><p><strong>Oh ho! We do love complications!<strong>

**To be continued...**

**Please see my profile page for up-to-date information on chapter progress.**


	40. Predator

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Apologies for the delay in this and thanks for your patience! The holiday period got pretty busy and stressful which caused some delays. Anyway, hopefully the wait was worth it! Much love to all my reviewers and readers. As always, the support I get from you all is utterly amazing.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 40 - Predator<strong>

**Location: Onderon**

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><p>"Galen?" Juno's voice crackled over the com-link.<p>

"I need PROXY to run a search for me." He took another small step back from the toothed atrocity.

"What do you need?"

She sounded oddly distracted but there was no time to question it.

He was in the middle of describing the beast to her when the dark clone snapped out of his dazed state and flew at him. Galen's sentence was left half finished as he moved to defend himself, driving his blade down over the clone's to shove him back. They twisted apart and were turning to face one another when, without warning, the beast was on them.

It was quicker than it looked, jerking its head sharply from side to side; attempting to spear them with the tusks sprouting from either side of it's wide mouth. Galen leaped backwards and, focusing the Force, sent a blast of energy straight at its flailing head. The ball of energy struck true but the creature barely even flinched; its head snapping around to focus in on him. Rows of spittle-covered teeth seemed to flex in eager anticipation for a kill.

Dark side energy flared and Galen felt a bite of unexplainable anger as the monster stalked towards him.

His arm came up again, sprouting blue lightning that snapped greedily against the horned crest but dispersed a moment later without effect. The attack seemed to spur it into action and the monster retaliated with a barbed forearm, claws seeking to rend flesh in two. Galen tumbled to safety, bringing down his saber to crack the blade against the bumpy, horned skin. The plating smoked but the only sign of contact was a dark, singed mark branded into its hide. It lunged again, the tips of its claws tearing the fabric of his sleeve as he leapt out of harm's way. His senses felt clouded and he landed awkwardly, swinging a horizontal slash to fend it away. The blade screeched against the snub of its snout and then he was being shoved off of his feet, the monster snarling over him, reaching down with its monstrous jaws.

Galen stabbed upwards in a desperate attempt to land a hit that might hurt it, spearing the saber up through the roof of its mouth. The beast screamed—

—and closed its jaws.

For one horrific moment Galen thought that he'd lost the limb; the pain so intense that it left him half-blind. Anger and desperation filled him and vented into sparks that crackled along the length of his wounded arm and down the creature's esophagus. That, at least, did have the desired affect.

The powerful jaws came loose and the creature reared back, lightning briefly illuminating its insides as it writhed in the aftershock of the attack.

His arm was left torn and bloody, a deep gouge of flesh torn away just above the elbow leaving a flap of skin just barely attached. The multiple rows of teeth had minced the surrounding flesh into a horrific mess, so much so that he felt sick just looking at it.

Galen's com-link crackled with static and then PROXY's voice came through – faint but audible. "Master?"

But the beast was recovering and the sound of the com-link had drawn its attention back to him again, its yellow eyes blazing. The ground was turning to sludge beneath its heavy claws and sucked noisily at its feet as it advanced. If the Force couldn't be used against it perhaps its own bulk could be?

But then the dark clone was giving a roar of rage and duel blades – red and blue – came slashing down through the rain, bouncing hard off of the creature's back. The monster jerked its head around.

"He is _mine_. Do you hear me? _Mine_. I will kill him, not you," the dark clone was screaming, incensed.

Galen dragged himself backwards, sabers extinguished, holding his mangled arm awkwardly in his lap. Blood seemed to be seeping lazily from the jagged wounds. If he drew on the Force he was almost certain he'd be able to push through the pain—though blood loss could soon become a concern. Perhaps if he tried to bind it? Looking up through the haze of rain and dark side energy, he could see the beast rounding on the clone, now. Either he was being stupid or he was stronger than Galen had given him credit for. Regardless, the clone stood his ground as the monster charged, building energy for a devastating blast of Force that he released just as the creature closed on him.

The energy slammed into the monster's chest with enough force to cripple the thickest of durasteel—

—and dispersed like the wind.

Galen registered the surprise on his adversary's face before the claws raked across his torso, opening him up from sternum to hip. His bloodshot eyes were bulging as he made a hasty retreat and Galen could read his thoughts from the expression.

How had the monster gotten past the Force attacks?

It was clear by now that they were squandering energy. The dark aura around the monster seemed to be protecting it from harm and he had no idea how to get around that without risking his limbs to deadly teeth.

"Master?" PROXY attempted again.

"Go ahead." He tore off the ragged sleeve of the shirt he was wearing and began to wind it tightly around his wound. It would restrict movement a little but his grip was still steady and with the Force as his ally he was certain it wouldn't pose too much of a hindrance. _Almost_ certain, anyway.

"I would advise caution," the droid chattered over the channel. "If my calculations are correct, Force attacks will have little to no effect on this creature. All indicators point towards it being a terentatek."

"A what?" It was hard to hear him over the storm.

"A terentatek, Master. "

The dark clone was being harassed by the so-called 'terentatek' as Galen strained his ears to listen. The dark forces that followed it seemed to flow from its body in palpable waves and he had no doubt in his mind that the throbbing in his head was as a direct result of it. He leapt back to his feet and steadied himself, drawing the Force in a close, protective bubble around him. The blades came alive in his hands, held low as he gave each an experimental spin. There was pain. A considerable amount. But he had fought Vader in far worse conditions as a youth.

But pain, he would soon learn, had been an ally of the dark side and was harder to ignore in the light.

PROXY continued: "They were known as the predators of Jedi, feeding on their Force energy. Master…the aura they emit could taint a Jedi, forcing them to fight in groups in an attempt to subdue the effect. A single Jedi could easily be overcome."

And all at once his vision made sense.

This was the trap that Vader had set. The dark clone had never been anything more than a puppet. A distraction from the true threat. Vader didn't want him dead. He wanted him to _fall_. Anger flared within him, though he immediately quashed it down; replacing it with a steely determination instead. He would sooner die than slip into the madness that had claimed his fellow clone. But perhaps Vader knew that, too. Perhaps he cared little about whether Galen fell or died. Either way the result would be the same: he would be lost to the Rebels.

The monster recoiled, roaring in pain as lightning ripped jagged claws through the sky. The rain was so heavy that only the creature's angriest roars permeated through the intense clamor of the storm. The dark clone was yelling but Galen heard not a word. Clearly he'd managed to strike a decent hit.

If Galen couldn't use the Force directly against the creature he'd have to resort to using his saber – though the idea of sticking his arm into its mouth again was…unappealing. There had to be a weak point between the thick, scaled hide; some vulnerable ligament that could be severed to impede it. Everything had a weakness to exploit. It was just a matter of _finding_ it.

And then the terentatek came crashing towards him, chasing the dark clone who was dodging from left to right to stay clear of its slashing claws. His com-link was crackling back into life as PROXY continued but the words were lost as Galen back-flipped out of harm's way, slapping the hissing blade across the creature's flank. The terentatek flinched and snapped around to focus in on Galen, its nostrils flaring. There was a score in the crease between its neck and crest, leaking thick, green blood – the injury given to it by the clone. But behind it the dark clone grasped at the wound on his chest, panting either in pain or exhaustion.

Galen danced out of reach as the terentatek thrashed its head from side to side, and erupted into a flurry of blows; aiming for its eyes and nose and the gums between its multiple rows of teeth. And, whenever the pain in his arm threatened to rear its ugly head, he drew on the Force to keep it at bay, concentrating only on piercing the beast's armor and the rush of rain. The Force was without limits. If he could keep feeding on the energy it offered he'd be able to keep going, he was certain of it. Even if he didn't have any Jedi to band together with, he did have a mad Sith clone. That would have to suffice.

"We're not going to be able to do this alone," he called at the top of his voice as he ducked a claw meant to take off his head and stabbed upwards; the tip of the blade rasping against the terentatek's throat. The skin there was not exactly vulnerable but the groove the blade left was noticeably deeper. If he got through the skin perhaps a second well-aimed strike would pierce deep; cut off its air.

"You think I'm going to help _you_?"

"You already have once, remember?" Galen snarled, allowing the terentatek to drive him backwards, parrying and dodging with risky manoeuvres - the muddy soup beneath his feet growing more and more treacherous.

"No," the dark clone snarled stubbornly, though he launched himself at the beast and brought a single blade down over his head, both hands on the hilt to further the strength of the blow. His blade hit the terentatek between the shoulder blades. The beast twisted. Dark energy pulsed. And the flat of its snubbed head slammed into the clone, sending him stumbling backwards. It seemed the clone was slowing down…

As a comeback, the dark clone threw his saber, sending it spinning through the air, striking the beast a glancing blow across the jaw. Then it was back in his hand, the blade hissing and spitting like an angry fire in the rain.

Galen rushed forwards, taking advantage of the distraction. His blade came up, his wrist twisting to lever the saber up into the crease of skin behind its elbow. It met resistance and then, surprisingly, the bumpy skin split apart, the blade sinking a hand's depth into its ribcage. A burst of green blood sprayed the air and the terentatek threw its head around, intending to impale him on its bowed tusks.

Nausea claimed Galen again, his head spinning as he tumbled to safety, whipping the blue saber into the air to keep the terentatek at bay. He regained his feet – staggered and gagged – and drew the Force into him in an attempt to purge himself of the dark infection. A twinge of anger pulled tight in his chest.

The pain was nagging, too. He'd never learned to deal with it in the way that Kota had – another technique he would now never be enlightened on. He had embraced pain as a youth, wallowed in it, used it to fuel his strength and anger. That had been his power. But not anymore. He couldn't go back down that path – even if the temptation was growing.

The dark clone unleashed another bout of blue lightning, both hands forward, fingers curled. The electricity went wild, tracing through the rain in a crackle of light and running across the terentatek's body, almost completely encasing it.

Galen reached up with his good arm and wiped the rain from his face with a sodden sleeve.

His com-link crackled again, PROXY's voice coming in fits and starts. With the poor signal and the howling gale, Galen didn't even try to comprehend what the droid was saying.

The terentatek lifted itself until it was standing fully upright and brought its front claws down in a powerful sweep. The clone dropped to the ground and rolled, though he seemed to struggle to rise back onto his feet.

Galen thumbed the activation switch of one of his blades and in three long bounds was back at the monster's side. The terentatek sensed him just as he lunged up for the weakened point at its neck and swung around, roaring defiantly. Its malodorous breath burned Galen's eyes as he lurched to the side, scoring the creature's shoulder and spinning to follow it up with another. The terentatek swung low this time – to try and take his legs out from under him – and he jumped, landing nimbly on the beast's back. The rain and the blood from the minor wounds dotted on its body had made its skin slick and oily. He fought to keep himself in place and, digging the toes of his boots between thick scales, he brought the blade down again, slamming it against the base of its neck; hoping to severe its spine. The armored hide held strong and, as he lifted the blade to try for the second time, the terentatek went wild, raking at its sides with claws that couldn't quite reach.

The darkness seemed to thicken and Galen grew strangely faint; his conscious self attempting to recede into nothingness. One of his feet fell out between the terentatek's scales, pitching him forwards and the monster reared, cracking its head hard against his chin.

He tasted blood.

And then the slap of cold, wet mud against his face told him he was in trouble. With a pained groan he rolled over onto his back and fumbled for the saber at his belt. The monster was above him now, its shining eyes full of gleeful hatred. He felt the swell of hot anger in his chest and the beast seemed to thrum with strange, twisted amusement.

He gave a roar of frustration as the monster lanced its snout down towards him, the note taking on a desperate edge. In his mind's eye he could see the terentatek's mouth around him, his body bursting between its teeth in a spray of blood. His hands came up – one burned and one bloodied – bracing himself against its weight as he pushed back against its jaws. His burned knuckles now felt nothing compared to the pain of the gouges on his arm. His fingers curled to latch between its teeth of the lower and upper jaw, clenching tight, and he imagined the strength he would need to tear its jaws wide apart until the bone and flesh split.

Electricity licked across his forearms again, awoken by his desire for survival, and the terentatek – clearly recalling the pain of before – tried to jerk away. He tightened his fingers reflexively even as his body was lifted clear off of the ground. The pain reignited, squeezing a startled breath from his lungs and – in a moment of weakness – he turned the negative energy into a burst of Sith Lightning so strong that it blasted him clear of the monster's jaws and sent it into violent convulsions.

Breathing hard, Galen dragged himself backwards through the sluicing mud just as thunder cracked directly above them, so loud that it seemed to shake the planet. The huge beast was still in the throes of agony when the dark clone appeared, his eyes as bright as the sabers in his hands. Lightning cast stark shadows across his pallid face as he lunged outwards, taking the terentatek in its wounded side. The saber sank deep and the beast – still locked in seizure – gave a horrific wail.

It took him a moment – as he lay there in the mud – to realize that his com-link was crackling again; the disjointed voice pitched high with panic.

"Galen! Galen? Do you read me?"

"Juno?" Her voice drew him back to himself. He lifted the com-link up and pressed it to his ear to better hear her over the squall.

"Is the terentatek dead?"

He could barely see for all the rain but from the sounds the creature was making it was certainly in a great deal of pain. The darkness had thickened, too, as if readying to consume the corpse. Its essence seemed to be whispering sweet enticements.

"It's wounded," he breathed, trying his best to keep his voice steady.

"Did it get you with its claws?" Her voice was shaky with fear.

"No." At least, he didn't think so. "Why?

"PROXY was trying to tell you."

And the droid cut in: "There is a deadly venom contained in the claws and tusks, Master. A single scratch could prove fatal."

"What about the teeth?" he asked, thinking of his shredded arm currently being held together by a strip of his torn sleeve.

"There is no mention of teeth in the data log," the droid confirmed after a moment.

And then Galen realized. _He_ might have evaded those slashing claws but the clone had not. His eyes snapped across to the battle raging just ten paces away, the monster staggering and crashing across the clearing as it attempted to crush the clone.

So far the dark clone seemed to be staving off any effects of the venom though he seemed to now be sporting another angry red gash down one side of his neck. And, on closer inspection he seemed to be moving as if he were in a great deal of discomfort.

Galen forced himself back to his feet, staggered and braced himself against the broken stump of an old tree.

"So you're okay?" Juno asked.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." _Mostly._

She tried to speak again but her voice was lost to another fierce howling from the terentatek as it bulled through the tree stumps, a tangled cord of thorns trailing from one of its hind feet. Galen secretly wished that the two of them would end up finishing one another and freeing him from the responsibility of having to take the dark clone's life.

The dark energy fluctuated suddenly, driving pricks of needle-sharp pain into his skull. He snarled in irritation and widened his stance to keep himself upright. The terentatek was lurching across the clearing, lashing out with claws and tusks in an almost blind frenzy. Rain ran torrents down its heaving sides, drawing blood from the spatter of wounds.

A burst of Sith Lightning put a metallic fizz into the air and it reared up again, angered, its lungs working like a pair of huge, worn bellows. The dark clone slammed two bouts of energy into its head and chest to slow its rampage and rolled out of harm's way, coming back to his feet covered in muck. The saber whined in his hand as it pivoted and Galen prepared himself to make use of the distraction.

Switching the blue blade to his less injured off-hand, he drove forwards, using the Force to augment his speed. He was on the terentetek in less than a second, attempting a killing stroke with a clean, vertical stab. The tip of the blade struck an already weakened and bleeding point in the terentatek's neck and sank an inch beneath the skin. In the same moment he summoned sparks that ignited into lightning and rippled down the length of his arm, flowing down to the tip of the blade embedded into the dark beast. The creature instinctively jerked upwards to throw him off but the upwards motion worked in Galen's favor – forcing the saber deeper into its neck.

It gave a sucking, gasping breath and the strength seemed to go out of it. It sagged forwards as Galen was working the lightsaber free; his senses suddenly sending out an alarm of warning. He looked up to see the dark clone launching at him, using the beast's head to gain extra height with ease. The red saber blazed in a fiery arc, scoring Galen across the collarbone as he attempted a hastily constructed retreat.

Thunder rolled above them as he fended off the first string of attacks and forced the dark clone to back away with a few wrenching swings of his saber.

"It's your turn to die now," the dark clone hissed.

Galen got out of harm's way and lowered into a defensive posture, blade held in a reverse grip that buzzed parallel to his forearm. The hilt of Kota's blade was in his leading hand, igniting a green brand protectively over his chest.

"Get out of the way of my _destiny_."

"This was never about you," Galen replied, his voice cold. He was struggling to feel anything but contempt for the twisted figure before him.

The dying terentatek gave a low growl and tried to turn its head; the side of its tusk knocking against the dark clone's leg.

The Sith clone didn't even seem to notice. "The light has no strength here. Can't you feel it?" He thrust out an arm to enforce his words. And he was right about that. Even though the terentatek lay dying the place reeked of darkness. The cold aura draped across everything like a heavy cape and put a throbbing pain behind his eyes. The land itself was corrupted; the ancient ruin a testimony to the fact that it probably had been for centuries.

"This was never about you," he repeated; his wounded arm listing. "Don't you understand? Are you so blind you can't see what's happening here?" He felt his rage growing with every word that burst forth. "This trap wasn't set for me alone. It was for _both_ of us. That creature was supposed to kill us both. As far as your 'master' is concerned, we're both failures."

The cry that uttered forth from the dark clone sounded almost distraught.

"And even if you do manage to kill me," he added with a hint of malice. "There's a lethal venom currently coursing through your body. You're already dead."

"_No_!" The dark clone flew at him and, automatically, Galen lifted his wounded arm to block the blow. The pain sang through him and he hastened to bolster himself with the Force.

"You know it's the truth," Galen spat. "Why do you deny it? He sent you here to die at the claws of that monster. And me? Fall or die, it all amounts to the same thing. I'd be dead to the Rebels and Vader would be free of the thorn in his side. Face it. You're worthless and Vader used you. He always has been."

It was hard to tell whether Kota's method of defeating the clone was working or not. It was certainly affecting him but not necessarily in the way the old general had predicted.

The clone launched into another violent tirade that had them wheeling and spinning in lengthy, complicated sequences that saw them moving back and forth across the clearing, leaping from one tree stump to the next in an attempt to avoid the perfidious mud.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Galen snarled, persistent now, as their sabers crossed again. "The venom burning through your veins?"

It was hard to tell in the torrent of rain but the gash on his neck seemed to be oozing.

"You think venom could kill a Force user? A _Sith_?" the clone replied, throwing a few testing swings in his direction.

"I know it does."

"You're wrong."

"All I need to do is bide my time."

"You will die before I do," the clone barked.

Their sabers clashed again, the intensity of the light rivaling that of the lightning clawing zealously above their heads. And Galen – shoving away his pain as far as it would go – followed an overhand strike with a spinning leap that sent the clone stumbling back into the mud.

"Give up," he warned.

"Give up?" The clone burst into laughter. "When you are in so much pain? I can sense it. How much it bothers you."

Galen squeezed the hilt of the green saber as if to prove him wrong. "Not enough to slow me down."

"We'll see about that." And he pushed up from the muddy ground to land on his feet, his body still twisted at the waist as if to ease the pain of the wound concealed beneath the torn, bloody rags he wore. "Let us put an end to this, shall we?"

Galen only readied his sabers in response.

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><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**You may find details on the next update in my profile. The next chapter will be the last, followed by the epilogue.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	41. Severance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Well this is it everyone! The last full chapter of this story (not including the epilogue that will be following shortly). Thanks, once again, to all of my readers and reviewers for all of your support. A huge thank you, also, to my beta, Liisiko, who manages to find time in her busy schedule to help with refining each and every chapter.**

**I shall do a full thank you and additional notes at the end of the epilogue once that is published, so for now, I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 41 – Severance<strong>

**Location: Onderon**

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><p>"PROXY?" Juno called out, leveling the ship with shaking hands. "Are you in position?"<p>

"Almost, Captain."

"You need to hurry. At this rate we're going to lose the storm. We need that advantage."

"Understood." PROXY's responses – perhaps wisely – were kept short and agreeable. Juno's nerves were frayed, her heart hammering as she traced PROXY's signal. She had underestimated how long it would take the gangly droid to pick his way through the storm-ravaged jungle and was angry at herself for the miscalculation. Mistakes were all well and good but not when Galen's life hung in the balance.

Tapping her fingers loudly against the console she tried not to watch as the seconds ticked down. The heaving storm seemed to be funneling down into the valleys south of their position and whilst that would normally have been a good thing she'd come to realize what great cover it could have provided. Her plan was risky to begin with, and whilst this factor only added to that risk, it could also work in her favor.

"I have reached the co-ordinates, Captain Eclipse," PROXY chimed in; his voice and the stormy wind briefly filling the cockpit. The signal had certainly been precarious, but was clear enough now.

"You know what to do, yes?"

"I do. Battle strategy is part of my programming."

She nodded, her mouth tightening into a grim line. "I'll begin descent the moment you reveal your position. Remember, try and keep him distracted for as long as you can."

"Understood."

She ended the transmission and leaned back in her chair, letting out a great whoosh of breath. Her heart was still hammering wildly in her chest; the apprehension almost too much to bear. She wasn't afraid to die – she had long since come to terms with that possibility – she was afraid that she would fail. Afraid that Galen might never forgive her. She touched the comm unit gently, tempted to try and make contact with him, but the risk was too great. It could take only a moment's distraction to get him into serious trouble.

Withdrawing her hand reluctantly, she turned her attention back to PROXY's signal.

She would not have long to wait.

* * *

><p>Galen dodged sharply to the left as the dark clone swung high, the saber cutting clean through the tree that had been standing at his back only a moment before. The smell of wet, burnt wood was pungent as Galen lifted his hand to block the clone's second attempt at decapitating him.<p>

Behind them, the terentatek's sides still heaved, its claws scraping long grooves into the muck beneath it. Its resistance in the face of death was strangely distracting and Galen winced as the red saber burned the air a finger's width from his ear.

He swept out an arm, bringing the Force with it, scooping up mud, thorns and rocks and sending them showering at the clone – slowing his advance and giving Galen time to maneuver into a stronger position. His wounded arm was shaky enough that he couldn't trust it to hold out – forcing him to rely on his left.

The dark clone had thrown up an arm to defend himself from the debris tossed into the air and retaliated with a blast of Force energy that buffeted angrily against Galen's raised shield.

The dark clone's sabers hummed as he went on the offence and again they clashed; twisting this way and that in an attempt to gain the upper hand. The attacks came so quick and fierce that Galen had no time to draw anything to his aid, relying on swift feet and quick reflexes to block the attacks and send a few sharp jabs back at his opponent.

The dark clone gave a roar of fury, lashing out with both lightsabers, and Galen leapt backwards to evade, spinning the green blade in his burned hand to throw aside any strikes that got close enough. He was tiring and the constant pulse of dark energy was wearing at his patience.

He landed on his feet and began to rise again when the unmistakable '_whop-whop_' of a thrown lightsaber reached his ears. He turned to block, but too late, and a deep flash of pain knifed across the back of his leg, buckling him roughly forwards onto his knees.

"I've thought about what you've said." The dark clone announced, leveling his blade to Galen's throat. "And I think I'll cut my ties from Vader. Once I've dealt with you I'll get myself clear of this planet and take control of my own destiny."

"The—venom," Galen started to say.

"What venom?" the clone spat. "There_ is no venom_."

It was hard to tell whether he was feeling the effects of it yet, what with the pouring rain and his already sickly appearance. The dark clone was shaking but that could have been from excitement or rage…or madness.

Galen bowed his head and let his arms fall limp at his sides, reaching out for a semblance of calm to keep the darkness out of reach. The temptation of dark forces came and went but now they seemed to be pulling at the end of their chains, baying like demonic hounds.

The saber hovering just beneath his chin was starting to grow unbearably hot; an intense reminder of how close he was to losing far more than just his patience.

The dark clone laughed, loud and piercing – or perhaps it merely seemed louder because the storm was beginning to recede – and when he spoke again it was with a patronizing tone: "Look at you. Kneeling there. Waiting for death when there is strength here that you refuse to use." With exaggerated care, he pressed the lightsaber forwards until the tip blazed against Galen's shoulder, eating away at fabric and down into flesh.

Galen's resolve had already begun to dissipate, the last threads of calm coming undone under the realization that time was running out. His promise to Juno was splintering apart – the promise he knew he shouldn't have made.

And, as if reading his mind, the dark clone asked: "Thinking of her in your last moments? Don't worry. I'll break the news of your death as gently as I possibly can." His smile was nothing less than wicked. "But she won't grieve for too long. Even if I do plan to take my time in putting her out of her misery."

The rage that surged through him was instantaneous, the images of what the clone planned rushing through his mind. And, with renewed vigor, he drove himself upwards on his uninjured leg. The red saber – still embedded in his shoulder – tilted downwards into his flesh, sending another blast of searing pain through him. It took little effort to shift that pain into dangerous sparks which leapt from his fingertips to snap at his nemesis.

"I won't let you do that," Galen snarled, feeding on the pain to keep himself on his feet.

And somewhere inside of him he knew that what he was doing was wrong and dangerous. He could hear the steady thrum of the dark side reaching for him, eager to accept him back into its embrace. The heavy shadow of its presence deepened further. But what else could he do? He'd broken its influence before. Surely he could do it again.

_You've never broken from it_. A mocking voice whispered to him as he leveled his gaze at the clone. And maybe it was true.

Without any forewarning, a dark shape separated from the shadow of the trees, appearing behind the dark clone. A figure; tall and broad-shouldered with armor that lit hot-white beneath the glare of the lightning above.

Galen would have done a double-take if he'd had the energy and the dark clone turned to look, twisting the saber deeper, widening the wound in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth against the blinding pain, Galen's hand settled on the cold hilt of Kota's saber, readying it for vengeance.

The need to strike pulsed through him.

"Master?" the clone hissed in disbelief.

The clearing filled with deep, mechanical breathing and Galen's thumb teased the activation switch on his weapon. Waiting.

"Why are you here?" the dark clone demanded. "Did you not think I could do this? _Look_. Look at him. He is_ mine._ _Look_!" And he pulled the saber free to turn and face the dark lord. Galen's body lurched forwards, his hand tightening against his lightsaber. The dark clone was distracted. It was the opening he had been waiting for, and yet – despite everything – he hesitated.

There was another way. There had to be another way. Kota had believed it strongly enough to throw his life away for it. And he wouldn't have done that unless—

"You have failed again; as you always have," Vader responded, unfazed. "But this will be the last time." He lifted his arm slowly and the clone staggered back, screaming in rage and fear.

—Unless Kota truly believed that killing the clone might send Galen back in that downwards spiral of hate and greed and power.

But he'd stayed his hand before and look at where that had gotten them. Unfortunately, the thought was barely being formed in his mind when Galen's window of opportunity closed. The clone lurched drunkenly towards the towering figure of the Sith Lord, clutching at his scored chest and babbling enraged nonsense.

Vader, slowly but purposefully, ignored the dark clone and moved across to where the terentatek lay, gasping its final breaths. "You have learned nothing," he continued. "The plan is in motion and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Your fate is sealed. You will die."

"I won't take it," the clone seethed. "I won't take that fate. _I won't_."

"You already have."

Galen smiled wearily through the pain.

But the dark clone, less than amused, swung for Vader's chest—

—And the Dark Lord's image undulated; peeling away to reveal a robotic skeleton hiding beneath.

"PROXY," Galen affirmed knowingly, not sure whether to be annoyed that the droid was there or thankful for the diversion. The dark clone, on the other hand, had clearly not been expecting the droid; a good sign, perhaps, because it meant that that he was letting his emotions overpower what little sense of reason he still possessed.

Thunder rumbled again, distant at first and then louder.

"You," the dark clone snarled, rounding on the droid. "You will pay for this treachery."

PROXY wisely put some distance between them as the clone circled to cut off escape, his step increasingly labored. Perhaps the venom was finally starting to have an affect? And in that moment, the 'other way' made itself known. The clone – so intent on the droid – hadn't bothered to pay attention to his surroundings and, in that split second, the dying terentatek's claws hooked into his leg and pulled him roughly from his feet, roaring in angry defiance.

The dark clone thrashed, his cries of rage transforming into ones of sheer terror. And in that moment the powerful, mad Sith clone became as helpless as anyone else would be in that situation.

The thunder grew louder and Galen, realizing something was out of place, looked upwards from where he knelt. And in that moment the world around him faded out. He forgot the dark clone. Forgot PROXY. Forgot the dying terentatek and the pain of his wounds. There was no light. No dark. Only cold, terrible _horror_.

He mouthed a single word, too afraid to speak it out loud. Afraid of giving the moment life. But spoken or not, the thunder was not thunder at all. It was the roaring engines of a ship.

_Their_ ship.

PROXY's distraction hadn't been meant to give him a chance to strike.

It had been meant for Juno.

"You must retreat, Master." PROXY called out to him from across the clearing. The droid was still standing close to where the dark clone was fighting to get free of the terentatek's jaws.

"PROXY! Where's Juno?" He could hear the fear in his own voice. He already knew. How could he not?

"Why, Master, she is on the ship."

A human might have lied. A human might have taken pity on him and broken the news gently. But clearly, keeping the information from him had not been part of the droid's orders.

It was hard to think. Hard to move. His fingers felt stiff and clumsy as he scrabbled desperately for his com-link, wiping the mud frantically off of the device.

"Juno!"

There was no response and he called her name again; to no avail.

The ship plunged, its velocity and angle making Juno's intent undeniably clear. She'd put the _Rogue Shadow_ on a collision course. What was she thinking?! Was she going to abandon ship? Could he take that chance? He couldn't let her die for him. Nothing he had done would matter if he lost her now.

He cut off his panicked thoughts and simply reacted.

He called the Force to his aid, drawing every bit of his strength – concerned at how difficult it seemed to be to grasp – and unleashed it in a tidal wave of desperation. The energy flowed out of him in a dizzying rush, crossing the shortening gap between him and the _Rogue Shadow_ and slamming into the hull. The ship lurched upwards dangerously, forcing Galen to redirect some of the strength; realizing that he could end up destroying the ship mid-air if he didn't tone down the amount of force he was using.

He touched against her retreating life force, surprised to find her abandoning the cockpit. Perhaps she hadn't been on a suicide mission after all. But it was too late now. He had already slowed the ship down, and it had begun to list. Panic seized in him and he screamed out in agony as he tried to redirect the ship back on course; altering the fragile panels on its wings to slow its descent.

But he was running out of sky and even as he fought to correct its course he could already tell that there was not going to be enough time to reduce its speed enough.

The last thing he remembered seeing was the ship ploughing down towards them, smoke billowing from its port side wing, the ground rupturing as it made contact.

The impact sent him hurtling back and the darkness reached up to take him.

This time, he relented.

* * *

><p>The dark clone could feel the creeping of something unwelcome in his veins. Something hot and cruel. It moved slowly as if cherishing every painful moment. This pain was not a good one.<p>

And he knew that creeping feeling was death coming to claim him.

He had tried to move – to free himself from the clutches of the downed _Rogue Shadow_ – but had given up after an extremely brief attempt. A piece of the wreckage had gored him through, pinning him to the now very dead terentatek.

Everything was red.

The ship. His clothes. His hands.

The world.

He couldn't feel his legs anymore either. He wondered whether the ship had cut them from his body. Or maybe they'd been burnt to ashes. The flames were getting closer and he could smell burning fabric.

Across from him he caught a glimpse of the phantom figure emerging from the smoke and he laughed, sudden and crazed. So they were all going to die together. Him, his ghost, the inferior clone and even his woman. And Vader? Where had Vader gone? He was certain that he had seen him. Tried to fight him, even. Or had that been his imagination? His head swam and he closed his eyes.

When he opened them again there was someone standing in front of him. He wasn't sure how long he had been out and his eyes didn't seem to want to focus.

"Can you hear it?" He rasped. "The darkness?"

No response.

"Wait—I know you." He choked on blood, his breath gurgling in his throat.

He did not hear the shot that killed him.

* * *

><p>The dark clone slumped back against the motionless terentatek, a twisted half-grin scrawled across his face. The life had gone from his eyes, the flaring gold-red now glazed and dark.<p>

Only then did Juno release a wrenching cry, allowing her arm to drop and the blaster to fall from slack fingers. She'd almost expected the bullet to ricochet off of a Force-conjured shield and hit her instead. But the smoking hole between his eyes confirmed her success.

She stared at him. He was dead. It was over.

Trying and failing to keep her sobs at bay she slumped back against the carcass of her dead ship, taking the weight off of her injured leg. She'd wrenched her left knee so badly that she could already feel it swelling. There were other injuries, too; a broken arm, a badly scraped shoulder and a number of lacerations decorating her entire body. There was something wrong with her back, too. But rough as her landing was, it would have been far worse and if she hadn't abandoned ship when she had, it was very likely that she, too, would have gone up in flames.

Shaking violently from shock, she pushed herself back onto her feet and began to limp her way across the clearing. The rain and the battle had churned up the ground; turning a short walk into a true test of endurance. And with her bad leg, the only thing that kept her going was the hope of finding Galen alive.

But the scene that greeted her was of apocalyptic proportions; the receding storm still rumbling somewhere in the distance. There was wreckage and cold rain and hot flames hissing and spitting in the damp. And somewhere beneath it all lay PROXY and Galen.

Her leg gave out without warning, sprawling her across the uneven ground and jarring her broken arm so hard that her vision burst with white light. It was only after – when her eyesight had cleared – that she saw him, lying on his back, so covered in mud that it was hard to distinguish him from his surroundings.

She called to him in a shaky voice and when there was no reply she dragged herself closer on her one good arm, crying out in pain even as she forced her body to press on. Nothing mattered as much as this. Broken bones and gashes could wait for treatment. Reaching Galen could not.

And, blinking through tears of pain, she reached out to touch his hand. His fingers were deathly cold.

_But so are mine,_ she thought._ That doesn't mean anything._

"Galen," she called again, soft. "Galen."

The storm, which had once been so vociferous, had grown ominously quiet, though it had trailed grey clouds that still forbade the sun to permeate.

"Galen?" she whispered again, her face wet with tears. "Please wake up. It's over now. We've done it."

Still nothing.

His motionless silence distressed her. He had been through so much before now and survived every time – save one. How could he leave her now after everything they had been through? She had always feared this result – and knew he had, too – but deep down she had dared to hope for something different. Dared to hope they might both get away.

Leaning her weight tenderly on her skinned shoulder, she extended her good arm in a desperate attempt at seeking a pulse. But either the muck was too thick or there was none to be found. She tried to wipe the mud away but her pain was so crippling that she seemed only to be making it worse. Her head dropped to rest against his arm and grief threatened to consume her.

_Please. Please don't leave me._

A wave of dizziness turned her stomach and she closed her eyes in an attempt to ward it off.

"Please."

And he stirred, his first shuddering breath catching in his throat and sending him into spasms of muted coughing. He couldn't seem to catch his breath and for one horrible moment she thought he was drowning in smoke and fire. His limbs jerked and her hold on his hand instinctively tightened, afraid that he would slip away from her again.

He took his first clear breath and shifted again. His eyelids didn't seem to want to function, though, and forming words seemed near impossible. He tried to say something – her name perhaps – but it was incomprehensible.

"I thought you were dead," Juno choked, bursting into relieved tears.

His fingers flexed against her hand in an attempt at comfort and, after a moment, he managed to choke out: "Why?"

She didn't understand what he was asking. Why was she there? Why was there fire? Why was he in so much pain? So, at last, she said: "I couldn't let you kill him." And it suddenly didn't matter if that was what he had been trying to ask or not. She needed to say it. Needed to get it out in the open. "What if it had changed you? What if—if…" _It had drawn you back to the dark side._ But she couldn't say that, could she? It would be like she had doubted him and she hadn't. He wasn't evil but she couldn't be sure how much influence the dark side truly had. She'd never gotten the impression that taking up the dark mantle was by choice alone.

"The ship is gone, Galen," she continued, feeling sick to say the words. "I couldn't see any other way. I couldn't have fought him off myself."

"Juno, don't cry."

"She's burning. The ship is burning. And PROXY—I don't know where he is."

His hand squeezed hers tighter and when she looked up again his eyes were open just a little. The fire put embers into them, reminding her of the dark clone's golden eyes. Her heart clenched and she held him a little closer in return.

"You're hurt."

She shook her head – which only aggravated her light-headedness. "It's nothing."

There was a long moment of quiet and then, he spoke again, slowly as if it took great effort: "I've seen it, Juno. It's not me. There's another."

"What's 'not you'?"

"Another Jedi." His brow tightened with pain. "We played our part. And now it's time for him to play his. If I interfere—" He paused as if trying to gather his scattered thoughts. "—That monster could return."

"The 'only hope' from your vision?" she asked, clinging to the one thing he said that she could understand.

He nodded, regret surfacing through the pain. "We need to sever our contacts."

Her heart gave a horrible shudder. They'd already done that, hadn't they? The ship was lost. They were cut off from everyone they knew.

In a quiet voice, she asked: "What are we going to do?" Her heart pounded, dreading the answer. It was obvious: there was nothing they could do. Leia wasn't coming to their aid. No one was. They were alone, lost in the middle of nowhere, too far from any settlement and too weak to attempt to reach a populated area anyway. Then she realized that Galen hadn't answered and looked up to see him drifting. She tugged on his hand – unaware of the burns on his knuckles and said; "Don't leave me."

Her plea seemed to bring him around momentarily and he turned his eyes towards her again. "Don't worry. I'll figure something out." But he was already fading and no amount of pleading could bring him back.

He was gone.

Juno, suddenly alone and surrounded by flames, could do nothing but listen to the destruction all about her. And, as she faded into unconsciousness, she realized that somewhere up above her, growling louder than the storm, was a noise that sounded strangely like a ship.

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><p><strong>To be continued with the epilogue.<strong>

**For progress updates, check my profile.**


	42. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. **

**Note: I am _so_ sorry for making you all wait so long for the epilogue. It needed more reworking than I initially thought and unfortunately it settled right at one of the busiest times of the year for both myself and my beta. In any case, here it is, at last! Thank you to all of you who read and review and have stuck with this story over such a great length of time. Your support means a lot and without you this story wouldn't have existed. Thank you, especially, to Liisiko who helped me rework this epilogue into something much better than what I had originally.**

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><p><strong>Epilogue...<strong>

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><p>"Juno."<p>

There was a strange sensation of floating and a rush of whispered voices; all of them distant and incomprehensible. Behind her eyelids the light seemed unusually bright and annoyingly inescapable. She managed to turn her head; dimly registering the soft and cool sensation beneath her cheek. Something wasn't right. She shouldn't be here. Her head was filled with fire and smoke and death.

"Juno?"

And she couldn't_ think _with that voice calling out to her like that. Why couldn't she be left in peace? All she needed was a little time to recover and—

—and something touched her shoulder; bringing her sharply out of her daze. Sucking in a gasping breath, her body jerked upright, startling at the sudden return of awareness. The light was harsh against her eyes and she struggled to see through all of the glaring _white._ Then, a moment later, she was reunited with her injuries and the debilitating agony that came with them.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted the darkness back. The dark was kind and gentle.

"Please remain still, Captain Eclipse." The voice held the mechanical whirr of a droid but it wasn't the droid's hand on her shoulder; encouraging her to lie back down. The hand was warm and human.

It was Sia's.

"Juno." Her voice was soft. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe now."

Juno could only gape up at the woman - utterly mystified - watching as the details of her face slowly revealed to her through the glare. "Sia?" And then her brain started to overload, flooding with thoughts and fear and hurt. "What is –? How are—?" She paused to try and recollect herself. "I _don't understand_." And then she was shaking, trying to pull herself free of the medical equipment that suddenly felt as if it was suffocating her. The medical droid chimed with alarm and Sia's hands gripped her shoulders tighter, freezing her in place.

"Juno. _Juno_. It's okay. Listen to me. We're on an Alliance ship. It's just me."

"Just you?" Her fingers twisted into the mass of tubes feeding across to a noisy machine. "Just you?" There was something wrong about that statement. "But…"

Sia was talking again but her words were lost to the roar of her raging thoughts. Then she remembered fire and devastation and an all-consuming dread settled heavily in her belly. "Galen?" His name burst from her. "Where's Galen?"

Sia's face shifted into one of concern; the corners of her mouth sloping downwards. "Juno…"

"_Where is he_?"

"He's not in a good way. Perhaps it's best if—"

"—I _need_ to see him."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. Your scans haven't come back yet. Juno, there's a high probability that you have internal bleeding."

Juno found that she didn't care. "Please, Sia," she begged. "I need this."

Sia looked torn and for a moment she thought that she would be denied. The fact that the woman eventually gave in spoke volumes. If her injuries were bad, they were clearly not as bad as Galen's.

"You can lean against me. Just take it easy. There's no need to rush."

Juno couldn't have rushed – even if she had tried. The short walk to the neighbouring room was nothing less than torture.

* * *

><p>Juno sat by Galen's bedside, watching the shallow rise and fall of his chest, afraid that if she looked away he might stop breathing altogether. There was an awful pain in her back that seemed to be growing steadily worse with each passing moment and, no doubt, some terrible bruising beneath the robe she wore. Still, as bad as she felt, she was certain that her pain was nothing compared to what Galen had suffered.<p>

A large number of bacta patches had been applied to his wounds; some hidden beneath a thick layer of bandages. The ones that were wrapped around his right arm were so thick that she doubted he'd have been able to move the limb.

"Is he going to die?" she asked. The words came out hollow, but she had to ask – if only for Sia to tell her that everything was going to be okay. She needed to hear some words of encouragement, even if the chances of them being true were slim.

_Just lie,_ she thought to herself.

But all Sia said was: "Juno, I don't know."

It deflated her.

The makeshift medical room aboard the ship would have been adequate for lesser injuries but it was certainly not equipped to handle situations like this one. What was possible to do within these limitations was already being done.

"I'm sorry I didn't reach you in time," Sia continued, pulling up a chair to sit next to her.

Juno shook her head. "It's okay. We weren't expecting anyone to come for us. We went there knowing that." Her eyes flicked briefly across to her friend. "Does Leia know you are here?"

"She's the only one who does. This is all being kept strictly off the record. This ship is bound for an Alliance controlled medical station to restock its supplies. Officially, we ran into trouble on the way and had to take a detour…" Sia trailed, ruffling fingers through her unruly hair. "I thought you might need some help but this...it's bad."

Juno chose not to respond to that particular observation. "Is that where we're headed? A medical station?"

Sia nodded. "Is that a problem?"

"It might be better if we stayed off the grid."

"With how badly injured the both of you are, it's too risky not to seek aid. Juno, the medi-droid won't be able to give you the attention you both need. Its programming isn't up to standard and even if it was, we just don't have the sort of equipment you need here on this ship. Besides, the fight isn't over yet. Your battle might be won but the war sure isn't." There was a brief pause. "You are coming back, aren't you?"

"I—" she hesitated, unsure. Admittedly, the thought of what she would do if not fly for the Alliance scared her. It was all she had ever known. Who would she be if not a captain? What else could she turn her hand to? She wasn't sure whether she was cut out for civilian life and what of Galen? He knew of nothing else.

Being distrusted by two of three senators was bad enough, but with Galen's constant battle against the dark side, could he ever truly throw himself into the rebellion? Juno couldn't pretend to understand the complexities of the Force but she knew, whilst it could be used for good, it was also capable of terrible things. Galen had used it to do both and the mistakes of his past had left an imprint on him. Vader would always have a hold over him, no matter how hard he fought against it.

The dark clone's death was not about to change that.

The darkness still remained, waiting for him to slip. And, knowing that, could he keep going the way he was? Could he keep relying on luck (as much as skill) to accomplish the things that he did? And what would the cost be if he couldn't? The whole Alliance could be put in jeopardy and everything they had fought for would have been for nothing. Kota's death would have been in vain, not to mention the thousands of rebel fighters who had risen up and died in the name of freedom.

"Juno?"

She jumped, lurching away from her thoughts.

"Leia warned me that you might not come back," Sia admitted. "But what would you do if you didn't? We need you. _Both _of you."

She shook her head, struggling for words, and then Galen stirred, putting a premature end to their conversation. What was the point of worrying about the future now, anyway?

With great care – as if afraid of hurting him – Juno reached out to touch the back of his hand. Beside her, Sia was on her feet.

"Galen?"

"He's awake?" Sia sounded more than a little surprised.

"Galen?"

He didn't seem quite lucid enough to form a response but his fingers twitched beneath her hand as if to reassure her.

"What's wrong with him?" Juno asked, trying to keep the panicked edge out of her tone. "Should he be like this?"

"It's probably the affect of the drugs. There may not be much it can do, but that little droid has been keeping itself busy."

"Are you in any pain?" she asked; though it seemed a stupid question once it had been spoken. A part of her didn't even expect a response, so she was grateful when he managed to shake his head; though it was hard to tell whether he was lying or not.

His brow tightened, as if trying to work his eyes open, but it seemed too hard for him to manage.

"Try to rest," Sia intervened. "We'll get you some proper care soon. You'll be back to your normal self in no time."

"Sia is taking us to a medical station – on Leia's orders." Juno explained. "She never intended to abandon us." Or maybe Sia had been able to convince her not to.

"…You?" he asked, grinding out the word with difficulty.

"I'm fine." Though, even as she said the words, the pain seemed to gain a stronger foothold.

His brow furrowed again and she wondered whether he could sense the lie in her tone.

"I need to go and check on our progress," Sia interrupted. "Will you be okay here? We're about to drop out of hyperspace."

"We'll be fine. Thanks, Sia."

"I won't be gone long."

And then they were alone – save the medi-droid – surrounded by the bleep of medical equipment and the pungent smell of bacta.

"I thought you'd left me," Juno started, voice quavering. "Back there on Onderon."

"You know I would never do that," he replied slowly, between breaths.

"Sometimes we don't have a choice." _You left me once before, remember?_

"Juno…"

She stroked his fevered brow and resettled herself in her chair to try and curb her own pain. "We weren't meant to die, Galen. Do you hear me? If that was the case, no one would have come for us. We still have work to do, remember? There's still a place for us, even if it isn't the same as it was before." Tears of pain rose, unbidden, into her eyes and the desire to lie down was becoming more overwhelming by the moment. She couldn't leave him, though. So she kept talking; hoping her words would prove a distraction.

"We'll sever ourselves from the Empire. From Vader. We'll work alone, if we have to. None of the rebels need know we still live." She smiled through her tears; soft and sad. "It can be like it was when we first started working together. Do you remember?"

Except this time there was no _Rogue Shadow_. No PROXY.

"I don't know what's going to happen," he admitted, sounding tired and distant.

"Then you know as much as I do," she replied.

And, as the ship transferred out of hyperspace, Juno could not help but think that there _would_ be other fights for them. Fights that might require more than just a lightsaber.

Sia was right. The war was not won yet.

* * *

><p>The idling ship hummed quietly as Vader regarded the scene laid out before him. Endless space, studded with a bright orb, broiling with fire. The sun's rays reflected off of the surface of his armor, burnishing black with red.<p>

On the console to his right, a display lit up with a vibrant blue, distracting him from thoughts of his failed experiments. One now certainly dead. The other…weakened.

He turned to face the hologram as it appeared, revealing the stern visage of a human male dressed in Imperial uniform. The insignia of his station was visible – though the colors were not. Vader knew them, though. The man was the first Grand Moff of the Empire and overseer of the Death Star's construction. Wilhuff Tarkin.

"Lord Vader." The man's voice was clipped.

"Proceed with your report."

Vader sensed no good would come of the meeting.

The Rebels were nothing if not tenacious.

* * *

><p><strong>End.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review! Your support was essential in helping me make it through until the end.<strong>

**I do have plans for some additional one-shots that follow after this story. Think of it as DLC, if you like! However, for now I intend to take a break and refresh. Once I start working on these, I will post an update on my profile.**

**Thank you! :)**


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